MMP
Ensuring Safety of Motorcycle
T
here’s no one right way to conduct a Motorcycle Mentorship Program (MMP) across the Army; units, as well as rider needs, vary greatly from one location to another — especially in Recruiting Command, where geographic dispersion creates additional challenges. Effective programs run the spectrum from command-directed to one-on-one mentoring, but the most important aspect is leader and rider involvement. Whether they have just a few riders or a hundred, MMPs are forums for building camaraderie among unit riders, promoting environments that foster responsible riding and helping educate riders on risk management and safe riding skills. The Army introduced the MMP as a voluntary unit/installation program in 2005 to curb a sharp rise in motorcycle fatalities and develop an informal way for experienced riders to partner with inexperienced riders, according to the U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center (USACR/SC). The first step is having a unit motorcycle mentor. Mentors can volunteer or be appointed at any level — even a recruiting center, which could have several riders. The best unit motorcycle mentors are those who not only enjoy riding and have a great deal of riding experience, but also have a lot of energy and enthusiasm, put forth the effort to really know and
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understand the Army’s motorcycle safety program, and want to mentor new riders, according to Maj. Randy Lewis, USAREC Headquarters Company commander. “In the community of motorcycle riders, most of us are willing to share tips, techniques and experiences — which is really the heart of the mentorship program,” said Master Sgt. Steven Laick, the USAREC headquarters company motorcycle mentor who has been riding for more than 25 years. The headquarters company MMP meets at least four times a year for rides or educational activities. While his unit riders are now all in a single location on Fort Knox, Laick said developing a program with more dispersed Soldiers is still possible and can be an effective part of the commander’s safety program. In Des Moines, Iowa, where he was his recruiting company’s motorcycle mentor until August 2012, Laick scheduled rider training for all his unit’s riders at once through a local community college. Though some riders had to travel up to two hours on a Saturday to participate in the training, Laick said it was beneficial to the entire group to take the course together and learn about one another. “Together you can see what each other’s strengths and weaknesses are,” he said. “We also found out we all had the same
interests and passions as far and where we like to ride and places we like to go, and we were able to plan some more rides as a unit, even though we were somewhat dispersed geographically.” Where it’s simply not feasible for an Army MMP, riders are encouraged to participate in private civilian riding clubs. Because of its dispersed environment, USAREC relies heavily on organizations like the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) and civilian motorcycle clubs for motorcycle rider training and mentorship, according to Mickey Gattis, USAREC safety officer. Unit MMPs can include Soldiers, civilian employees and family members, according to Laick. “Depending on how long they have been riding, our civilian riders can either benefit from motorcycle mentorship and/ or have a lot of experience to share with both experienced and new riders,” he said. Lewis added that new riders aren’t always young riders — he’s seen many post-deployment and mid-life crisis motorcycle purchases during his career. “Young kids and old kids buy new motorcycles and don’t necessarily know how to ride them — safely.” In his Fiscal Year 2012 review of Army safety in Knowledge Magazine, U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center