Motorcycle riders in USAG Rheinland-Pfalz community refresh their safety skills

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany - U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz hosted a week-long safe driving campaign, and throughout the week the garrison highlighted crucial safety topics each day like teenage safe driving, child safety seats and restraints, vehicle safety, and pedestrian safety.

On April 11, motorcycle safety was highlighted, and a motorcycle safety ride was conducted, featuring nearly two dozen riders from the Kaiserslautern Military Community and Baumholder, including the 405th Army Field Support Brigade and other organizations.

The USAG Rheinland-Pfalz Drive Safe Campaign motorcycle safety ride started with a briefing at a classroom on Sembach Kaserne where the riders had assembled. Representatives from the garrison's safety office, along with a couple of motorcycle mentors, briefed the riders on safety trends, things to look out for on the ride, general motorcycle hazards and the ride plan.

Following the safety briefing, riders conducted pre-ride safety inspections of their motorcycles using the T-CLOCS method. T-CLOCS stands for tires and wheels, controls, lights and electrics, oil and other fluids, chassis, and stands. Following this, the motorcycle riders broke into two groups and started the ride portion of the event.

During the motorcycle safety ride, the two groups stopped three times along the route. Each time, group leaders and assistant leaders - all with over 10 years of riding experience - talked with their groups about that leg of the ride and discussed lesson learned, ways to improve their rider skills and safety considerations. Just after noon, the two groups met up at a restaurant along the Mosel River to have lunch.

"Every day this week we focused on a different aspect of driving safe as part of the campaign," said Richard Cruikshank, the chief of safety at USAG Rheinland-Pfalz. "Today's focus was motorcycle safety. When you look around and listen to these riders talk to each other and talk about the hazards, there's a lot of information to be learned in an environment like this."

"Especially for me," Cruikshank said. "Since I'm not a motorcycle rider, myself, it's a great opportunity for me to speak with all these riders and see what their concerns are."

Andres Reta, a contract management support officer at USAG Rheinland-Pfalz, was one of the group leaders on the ride. He also briefed the entire group at the start of the event. Reta said this being one of the first big rides of the spring and the new riding year, that makes it very important.

"We are trying to refresh everyone on all the things they need to know in order to ride safe, especially after not riding for several months during the winter season. We are going on a nice, slow ride, and we will teach them a few things along the way. If they already know them, we're going to refresh them on everything we do as safe riders."

The next USAG Rheinland-Pfalz motorcycle safety course will be a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Advanced Riders Course scheduled for April 29 at Kapaun Air Station in Kaiserslautern. Soldiers and Army civilians are authorized to take the course. Soldiers have priority, but courses often have openings for Army civilians, as well. Please register by April 19 HERE (CAC required).

For more information on motorcycle safety in the USAG Rheinland-Pfalz community as well as upcoming motorcycle courses or safety rides, call DSN 541-2300 or commercial 06111-43-541-2300 or email Cruikshank.

To operate a motorcycle in Germany, USAG Rheinland-Pfalz community members must first have a motorcycle endorsement on their stateside licenses. To receive a U.S. Army Europe privately owned vehicle driver's license, USAG Rheinland-Pfalz community members must be at least 18 years old and have a valid stateside driver's license. They must complete the training and pass a driver's test on Joint Knowledge Online. (Course IDs: USA 007 and USA 007B).

USAG Rheinland-Pfalz community members who are Soldiers and have a motorcycle endorsement on their stateside license, must also have proof of attendance to an MSF sponsored motorcycle riders' course and must attend additional motorcycle training provided by the Logistics Readiness Center Rheinland-Pfalz Drivers Testing and Training Station.

To take the privately owned vehicle driver's test, CAC users can log into JKO, and CAC users can sponsor dependents without CACs by going HERE. For applicants under age 18 who possess a valid U.S. driver's license, their sponsor must request an exception to policy at the headquarters office on Sembach. The request should include the sponsor's name, rank, organization, APO mailing address and a copy of the front and back of the applicant's U.S. driver's license.

After passing the online test, community members should go to the LRC Rheinland-Pfalz Drivers Testing and Training Station, allowing about 48 hours for the scores to be processed. Personnel will then fill out an application, take an eye test and pay a fee for their U.S. Army Europe driver's license. The current fee is $30 with debit card, credit card, check or money order. Community members will receive their temporary driver's licenses on-site. The hard-copy license will be sent to their APO mailing address in 3-4 weeks.

U.S. Army Europe privately owned vehicle driver's licenses are valid for five years. If someone's tour extends beyond five years, they must renew their license and pay the fee. Personnel must always carry their U.S. stateside license with their U.S. Army Europe license. To learn more about operating a vehicle here, go to 405th Army Field Support Brigade's web page on drivers testing and training. The LRC Rheinland-Pfalz Drivers Testing and Training Station is located on Kleber Kaserne in Building 3213, Room 207. The telephone numbers are 0611-143-528-2435/2436 or DSN 528-2435/2436.

LRC Rheinland-Pfalz is one of eight LRCs under the command and control of the 405th AFSB, which is assigned to U.S. Army Sustainment Command and headquartered in Kaiserslautern. The brigade provides materiel enterprise support to U.S. Forces throughout Europe and Africa - providing theater sustainment logistics; synchronizing acquisition, logistics and technology; and leveraging U.S. Army Materiel Command's materiel enterprise to support joint forces. For more information on the 405th AFSB, visit the official website and the official Facebook site.

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