McChord Encourages Rider Mentorship Through Motorcycle Safety Program
Seven riders from multiple squadrons completed the course, including two members of the 142nd Wing, Oregon Air National Guard. The newly trained mentors will help expand local access to motorcycle safety training and assist experienced riders with mentoring others in their units.
The program supports the mandatory motorcycle training requirements of Level II training within one year of earning a Level I initial license and Level III refresher training every five years after. The program takes care to emphasize the decisions that affect rider safety the most.
“It comes down to what gets our guardians and our airmen injured, hurt, or killed,” said John McLaughlin, Air Force Safety Center deputy chief of traffic safety and outreach. “It’s the decision making, the behaviors that they’re using while they’re out on motorcycles.”
McLaughlin highlighted how the program will be able to give units a more direct path to required training.
“This training is a supplement to the current training and an alternative way of acquiring those skills across the DAF,” said McLaughlin. “This program will make it so here at JBLM, training can be done at the squadron level, and you don’t have to go all the way to the installation level to get training.”
Before this new program, Air Force riders at JBLM would often need to coordinate through their motorcycle safety representatives, who would coordinate through wing safety who would then schedule training with the Army. The new mentor network will allow MSRs to provide instruction directly to the riders who need it.
The course critically prepares mentors to lead discussions and practical exercises that reinforce riding fundamentals, sound judgment and risk management. The program also creates opportunities for riders to learn from one another’s experiences, said McLaughlin.
“I can share stories to help others learn so they don’t have to go through some of the experiences I went through,” said McLaughlin. “That’s the main point of the program, current riders mentoring newer and older riders alike to all learn together.”
Tech. Sgt. Corey Walrath, 62d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron squadron program manager, who helped bring McLaughlin to JBLM, said the local program gives the wing flexibility to meet increased demands for training.
“With the rider mentor program, now Airmen can come to their MSRs or me for the 62d AMXS, and we can come up with a schedule that works for them right then and there,” said Walrath. “This will be able to quickly get them the training they need to stay safe on the roads.”
Staff Sgt. Garrett Cofield, 62d Aerial Port Squadron passenger service supervisor, gave his thoughts on how the course reinforced the value of continuing to learn, regardless of experience level.
“When I was doing the Level II, I thought I was a really good rider, I was a lot younger and I had a much bigger ego,” said Cofield. “I think coming to these trainings and learning the fundamentals and setting your ego aside is super important.”
Ryan Meeks, 62d Airlift Wing occupational safety technician, took time to further highlight the critical nature of the program throughout the DAF.
“Inexperienced riders are our primary concern as they account for 90% of the fatalities that the Airforce experiences,” said Meeks “Experienced riders can teach advanced riding techniques, but they also teach awareness, safety, temperament, and maturity factors. Having a trained and experienced rider mentor that you personally know or work with creates an environment of trust and familiarity that cannot be gained in a short class.”
The continued growth of the program currently depends on experienced riders stepping forward to mentoring others and leading their unit is fundamental safety, said McLaughlin.
If you are interested in becoming an MSR, rider mentor, or rider mentor instructor please contact the wing safety office today at 253-982-9999.
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