MacDill motorcycle safety, mentoring, and CFC awareness ride

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Ned T. Johnston
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  More than 60 members from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., came together for a quarterly motorcycle safety and mentoring ride Nov. 1, 2013.

MacDill Air Force Base's Motorcycle Operations Center coordinated the ride with the 6th Contracting Squadron's Combined Federal Campaign kickoff event. The purpose of the ride was to emphasize motorcycle safety, build camaraderie between members of Team MacDill, and provide a kickoff event for the CFC.

Leading the event was Staff Sgt. Marc Villanueva, 6th Contracting Squadron contract specialist.

"It's important to have these kinds of events where we come together and talk about how to keep ourselves safe," said Villanueva. "This time especially, because there is a new regulation that has a couple of changes on the personal protective equipment we must wear on base."

Air Force Instruction 91-207, Air Force Traffic Safety Program, was updated Sept. 12, 2013.

According to Villanueva, the guidance now includes that riders must wear a full-face helmet or a half-helmet with eye protection, long sleeved shirt or jacket, long trousers, over-the-ankle footwear and full-fingered gloves.

Although the ride didn't officially take off until 10 a.m., all members met at 9 a.m. for a mandatory T-CLOCS inspection (tires, controls, lights, oil, chassis, stands), and to hear from representatives from the CFC, wing safety and the Green Knights.

Once all bikes were cleared through the T-CLOCS inspection, all 62 riders took off in unison for an early afternoon ride down Bayshore Boulevard.

"This event was as fun as it was educational," said Airman 1st Class Derek Weber, 6th Aerospace Medicine public health specialist. "Everyone here had the opportunity to learn about the CFC, as well as take a nice ride down Bayshore."

Information on safe riding can be ascertained from your base safety office, squadron motorcycle safety rep, or at http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2012/0412_militaryrider/