Motorcycle safety saves lives Published Feb. 16, 2007 By 1st SOW Safety Office HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- Hurlburt's Air Commandos are our most valuable assets. This is clear in the Special Operations Forces truth that "Humans are more important than hardware," and in our wing Aimpoint of "Taking best care of our wingmen, families and resources." The 1st Special Operations Wing has recently seen an increase in preventable motorcycle incidents. Several of our Airmen have been injured and temporarily unable to complete their duties. The beautiful Gulf Coast weather allows for year-round motorcycle riding, but it must be done safely and responsibly. Two of our recent motorcycle mishaps involved inexperienced riders who were not properly trained. Supervisors and commanders must ensure their personnel are properly trained prior to riding motorcycles either on or off base. Department of Defense Instruction 6055.4 states that all military personnel must successfully complete an approved operator safety course before riding. This includes both on and off duty. The Basic Rider Course is offered on base at no cost to military and DOD civilian personnel. Dependents and retirees are included on a space-available basis. The 1st SOW Safety Office has motorcycles available for aspiring riders to use during the class if they do not yet have a motorcycle of their own. The only time you are permitted to ride your own motorcycle prior to receiving training is to and from the training class. To register for the class, contact your unit safety representative. This is a vital part of taking best care of our wingmen. Again, Hurlburt's Air Commandos are indispensable to the 1st SOW and to America's efforts in the Global War on Terrorism. For more information, call 884-7497.