Photo By Staff Sgt. Noshoba Davis | Soldiers from the Louisiana National Guard attend the Basic Motorcycle Rider Course at...... read more read more
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As the Louisiana National Guard begins the 2024 Fiscal Year and enters the holiday season, LANG personnel must remain diligent towards safety. Safety is a vital component for service members’ health and wellbeing.
In accordance with Army Regulation 385-10, The Army Safety Program, and National Guard Supplement 10 to AR 385-10, the LANG Safety Office manages, advises and handles safety issues across the State and its many units.
“Our safety program consists of 27 program elements,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Daniel Solis, Louisiana National Guard Safety Officer. “These PEs are what the Composite Army National Guard Safety Development and Assessment Program [CASDAP] inspection team use to grade each State’s and TAG’s [the adjutant general] safety program.” Of note, the LANG safety program achieved a score of 99.2% in 2023.
The LANG brings focus to on and off duty safety expectations for each PE which includes motor vehicle, range, aviation, medical, workplace, tactical and chemical and biological safety through safety stand downs and briefings throughout the FY.
Solis explains these briefings are based on safety mishap trends throughout the year that are analyzed by the safety office.
“We want to ensure that the safety message is reaching down to the lowest levels of our organization to ensure our team members are making it home safely to their families, returning to duty, and keeping our force ready and relevant,” said Solis.
In addition to focusing on the main PEs within the safety program, LANG has taken extra measures to ensure safety standards and awareness are prioritized throughout the organization. These measures include the TAG’s Army Motor Vehicle Safety Guidance memorandum which requires a noncommissioned officer to complete a pre-mission checklist and be assigned to every Army motor vehicle during operations, motorcycle rider course, ground guide training and maintenance shop safety. The safety office also partners with Coastal Truck Driving School to train LANG truck drivers on how to drive commercial trailers, a necessary skill during all-hazards events.
“The Basic Motorcycle Rider Course began in 2008,” said Warrant Officer 1 Tanner Alwell, basic motorcycle rider instructor and rider coach. “The course’s primary core goals are to safely mitigate risks, develop fundamental riding techniques and provide a positive environment for learning.”
Army Master Sgt. James L. Price, basic motorcycle rider course lead instructor and rider coach, and Alwell were both certified as instructors and rider coaches through a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course.
Alwell explained the LANG course is modified from the MSF curriculum to ensure riders are taught in accordance with AR 385-10 and learn the proper safety procedures while riding.
“Riders do a couple hours of classroom training and about ten hours of riding exercises on the range,” said Price. “Each exercise is a building block for the next. It is crucial for riders to have basic understanding on how to safely operate a motorcycle along with the theory of operation on the equipment that they may or may not be operating in the future.”
Price explained the Basic Motorcycle Rider Course teaches Soldiers how to confidently make safe and concise decisions while improving their riding techniques, motor skills and overall road situational awareness.
Programs like LANG’s Basic Motorcycle Rider Course go a long way in helping improve safety awareness with LANG members both on and off duty.
“All members must actively engage in safety and set the standard for what ‘right’ looks like,” Solis concluded. “Our organization’s motto is ‘Protect What Matters,’ and we owe it to all of our team members to implement safety and mishap prevention programs at all levels.”
Everyone, while in uniform or not, is a safety officer and must be diligent to help the force get home safely and minimize preventable accidents.
Please visit https://GeauxGuard.la.gov/ for the latest LANG releases, photos and videos. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram!
| Date Taken: | 11.02.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 11.21.2023 14:58 |
| Story ID: | 457145 |
| Location: | PINEVILLE, LOUISIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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