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Barksdale holds first motorcycle awareness ride

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Terri Barriere
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  More than 130 riders shinned up their bikes and donned protective gear to attend a motorcycle safety remembrance ride hosted by the 2nd Bomb Wing Safety office - the first of its kind here.

The riders attended an hour long awareness briefing prior to embarking on a two hour course, which lead them through the local community before dropping them off on base for a post-ride celebration.

"This is a great opportunity to bring everyone together for a little education and a lot of fun," said Col. Tim Fay, 2nd Bomb Wing commander. "Like everything at Barksdale, we have great Airmen taking care of each other, stepping up and showing their fellow Airmen the way. It's awesome for me to be able to be a part of this."

A member of the local Sheriff's Department, the wing commander, wing chaplain and the safety office were on hand to encourage riders, offer advice, and share words of wisdom.
Master Sgt. Kevin Carter, 2nd Civil Engineer Squadron, said the day's ride was about mentorship.

The riders were broken down into groups of 10 to 15 riders with one experienced rider leading the front and one bringing up the rear. The outing gave motorcycle enthusiast the opportunity to ride as a group, correct any mistakes their fellow Airmen may be making, and help improve everyone's overall riding skills.

"The ride went awesome," Carter said of the 71-mile ride. "We had nice weather, everyone rode safely, there were no incidents and the local community was really supportive. This was also a good opportunity to educate motorcycle riders on the proper wear of safety attire,and the rules and regulations for riding on base."

Many Team Barksdale members participated in the ride as a way of giving back to the younger riders on base.

"I thought the ride would be a fun opportunity to get out and help mentor younger riders," Staff Sgt. Mitchell Jacobs, 2nd CES, who has been riding for five years. "This was also a good opportunity for networking with other riders on base."

In addition to providing mentorship for younger Airmen, the safety ride was a learning opportunity for all the riders, both new and experienced.

Tech. Sgt. Raymond Merrow, 2nd Communications Squadron, said the ride's awareness theme put the focus right were it needed to be - on safety.

"This is a good program for mentoring young troops but also for making sure safety is on the forefront of everyone's mind so we can hopefully prevent any more tragic losses in the future," he said.

The safety ride also served as an opening event for the Barksdale chapter of the Green Knights.

Barksdale's chapter, Chapter 75, is part of a large, military-wide network dedicated to mentorship and fellowship among riders.

Carter, also the Green Knights Chapter 75 president, said the chapter is a private organization helping the wing safety office teach base riders the proper attire and skills, and help mentor young riders on how to stay out of trouble.

Carter said the Barksdale chapter provides mentorship, fellowship, a newsletter and weekly rides to its members.