86th CEG rides for safety

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Tryphena Mayhugh
  • 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --  Ten Airmen from the 86th Civil Engineer Group and one from U.S. Air Forces in Europe enjoyed a day on the road and a trip to Trifels Castle, Annweiler, while gaining new skills and experiences as a part of the 86th CEG Motorcycle Safety Day, April 7, 2015.

The purpose of the safety day was to refresh new riders on basic motorcycle safety while providing an opportunity to experience local road and traffic conditions.

"I think these safety days affect the Airmen at Ramstein in a big way," said Staff Sgt. Andrae Alexander, 736th Civil Engineer Squadron electrician. "It keeps everyone safe and allows us to use the skills we've learned in a practical application."

Beginning at the Vogelweh Military Complex, the new riders were divided amongst three riding coaches who had at least 10,000 miles of riding experience, the requirement for being a coach. The coaches watched the less experienced riders while they traveled a wide variety of local traffic and road conditions, offering critiques and pointers to aid the Airmen in the upcoming riding season.

"It's a way for new riders to gain experience from guys who have more miles under their belt, but it can go both ways," Alexander said. "A new rider may have an experience that he can tell older riders, and locals can pass along their knowledge of the area."

Mandatory motorcycle briefings are conducted every year for Airman who ride, but participation in the safety days are highly encouraged as they offer hands-on training in the local area.

"Give them some skills, local condition knowledge and arm them up because if they aren't prepared for a situation they won't be able to navigate it," said Lt. Col. Paul Silas, 86th CES commander. "We're here to make sure folks will be well-equipped to handle what they meet, on and off work."

In order to prepare the Airman for as many riding conditions as possible, the safety day followed a route that offered several different terrains, ending with a tour of Trifels Castle.

"We had a good spread of roads," Silas said. "We traveled through curvy, hilly, gravelly and country roads, and in some highway conditions. This gave folks a good idea, under controlled circumstances, about what they would encounter in the future."

The 86th CEG strives to ensure that motorcycling is a safe activity as it can be a great way to unwind after a long day at the office or a pleasant way to spend a sunny weekend after a particular rough week.

"There's a lot of pressure on folks at work and people find ways to relieve stress," said Silas. "Motorcycling is one of those constructive stress relief mechanisms, and we want to make sure it's a positive one and that people have positive skills.

"The end results are very worthy," Silas continued. "We will have some happy, motivated Airmen who we know are going to get back and forth without any problems, no lost time and no broken bones."

As the 86th CEG Airmen returned without incident from the safety day, they were armed with the knowledge needed to make every ride as safe as possible and end on the same positive note.