Photo By John Switzer | FORT CARSON, Colo. — A trainer uses hand signals to direct a motorcyclist during an...... read more read more
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Motorcycle mentors from 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, took to the pavement to refresh their skills March 13, 2025.
The Motorcycle Safety Refresher Course came at an opportune time because motorcycle season on Fort Carson runs April 1 through October.
The class was comprised of 12 students who are motorcycle mentors for their units. Motorcycle mentors lead the motorcycle safety program at the brigade and below echelons, conducting inspections and giving refresher training.
Sgt.1st Class Charles Boettcher, 588th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 3ABCT, was a student in the course.
“In order for me to train my Soldiers who came back (from deployment), I need to take this course to ensure that they meet the Army safety standards for the motorcycle program,” Boettcher said.
Despite the mentors having years of riding experience under their belts, the course was required because Army Regulation 385-10, The Army Safety Program, mandates that Soldiers take the course if they go 180 days without riding. After returning from a nine-month deployment to Poland in December 2024, most of the Soldiers within the brigade had gone well past that time without riding.
Boettcher said regardless of previous experience, refresher training is valuable for all Soldier motorcyclists.
“There are things that come up in training that we talk about and discuss that you might have forgotten about or overlooked because you don’t do it all the time,” Boettcher said.
The daylong course began with inspections as each student checked another student’s motorcycle against a standard checklist. They discussed deficiencies and safety concerns with the inspected rider as if they were mentoring a Soldier in their unit. After the inspections, the Soldiers donned the proper protective equipment for riding and conducted riding drills.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Bryan Kinsey, 4th Inf. Div. and Fort Carson senior motorcycle mentor, led the class of mentors. He said the course evaluated Soldiers on basic operations such as braking, turning and leaning maneuvers.
“We went over some basic maneuverability drills,” Kinsey said. “We started with a warmup of practicing wide sweeping turns. From there we moved into (simulating) pulling up to an unprotected intersection and completing a turn as if pulling out onto a road.”
Kinsey spoke about the importance of the motorcycle program at Fort Carson.
“Soldiers should know that the Motorcycle Mentor Program is there for their safety, and that it is also a command required task,” Kinsey said. “Anybody who rides or intends to ride motorcycles should contact their mentor, or me if they can’t find a mentor.”
According to Kinsey, Fort Carson offers the Basic, Advanced and Refresher riders courses in addition to specific courses such as the dirt-bike and three-wheeled bike course.
Beginner riders must take the Basic Riders Course to ride on and off Fort Carson. Within a year of taking the basic course, riders are required to take the advanced course. This clears them for five years until they must retake the advanced course.
Boettcher said the basic course is the best place to start for new riders.
“The basic course provides beginner bikes and teaches the controls of the motorcycle. It’s designed for someone who has never ridden a motorcycle before,” he said.
Boettcher shared that overestimating ridings skills can have devasting consequences.
“The most dangerous aspect of riding is not knowing the limitation of your riding ability,” he said.
Having over 18 years of riding experience, Boettcher is passionate about being a leader in the Motorcycle Safety Program.
“I enjoy it,” he said. “I’ve always loved riding motorcycles, and I want to make sure other people I mentor get to enjoy it the same way I do.”
The refresher concluded with a 50-mile check ride to Woodland Park and back to the Mountain Post. After completing the course, the students became cleared to ride their own motorcycles off and on post and teach the refresher course in their individual units.
Kinsey noted that service members are authorized to attend a motorcycle safety foundations course off the installation, however there is often a fee associated.
Service members can enroll in the free Basic or Advanced Riders Course on Fort Carson service members by visiting https://airs.safety.army.mil/. The Common Access Card-enabled site opens the following month’s classes at the end of each month.
| Date Taken: | 04.01.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.01.2025 16:07 |
| Story ID: | 494303 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 26 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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