Email   Print   Share By 2nd Lt. Crystal Madden, 89th MP Bde. Public Affairs

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Riders traveling through the rural areas surrounding Fort Hood during the 80-mile route of the 2012 Phantom Thunder Ride. 2nd Lt. Crystal Madden, 89th MP Bde. Public Affairs

Soldiers, Family members and civilians took part in the Phantom Thunder VI mentorship ride May 17. Daniel Cernero, Sentinel Staff

About 1,000 service members, Family members and Army civilians from the Fort Hood community gathered at Sadowski Field in front of III Corps Headquarters May 17 to participate in Phantom Thunder VI, a motorcycle mentorship ride designed to promote motorcycle safety and awareness.

“89th MP Brigade was chosen as the executive agency for this event,” Command Sgt. Maj. Peter Ladd, Command Sgt. Maj. of the 89th Military Police Brigade, said. “We are responsible for the planning, coordination and execution of this event, so our involvement from start to finish has been everything.”

From providing on-site support and manpower, police escort, aerial coverage, to planning the very route the riders would take, the Soldiers of the 89th MP Bde. worked hard to make this a successful event.

“I want to thank the 89th MP Bde. for their hard work, this is our largest ride to date,” Lt. Gen. Don Campbell Jr., III Corps and Fort Hood commanding general said. “The team has put together a perfect route, and I think it’s also the longest route, 80 miles this time. “

With safety as the top priority and concern, the morning of the event began with a complete pre-inspection of the rider’s equipment and motorcycles. From safety rider cards, Department of Transportation approved Personal Protective Equipment, to motorcycle safety equipment checks, senior mentors made sure that all riders in their unit were fully prepared and equipped for the ride.

In the past 90 days, Fort Hood has registered more than four motorcycle accident fatalities. The causes of these accidents ranged from excessive speeds, failure to negotiate a turn, unfamiliarity with the motorcycle or unfamiliarity with the roads.

With the summer months ahead, the number of warriors returning from deployment and the favorable local weather conditions, the amount of riders will increase this summer especially as Fort Hood enters the 101 Critical Days of Summer.

“Unfortunately, the number of motorcyclists killed since 2000 has more than doubled in the state from 196 to 472 in 2011. So I ask you to please, ride safely,” Campbell said in his remarks to the cyclists before the ride. “This is really about protecting the force. We need all of you in the fight, whether the fight is here on post to train or deployed. It is about protecting Army Families at the end of the day.”

Leaders at all levels at Fort Hood and across the Department of Defense have taken a serious approach to promote motorcycle safety and awareness within the ranks. In these efforts, the Combat Readiness Center published “STOPP,” a group of preventive measures that could save a life when it comes to riding a motorcycle.

It stands for, stop, think, observe, plan and proceed.

Stop before taking action; don’t rush into a situation or mission without considering the risks. Think about the action; what is the right way to safely accomplish the task. Observe the situation and surrounding environment; what are the risks and how can they be reduced? Develop a plan to reduce the risks and decide how to best implement the plan. Proceed with safety; supervise continuously and constantly look for ways to improve. Risk management does not end at the end of the duty day; it applies to on- and off-duty activities.

Because of that, the off-duty communities and neighboring partners provided assistance during the ride. Killeen and Williamson County Police Motorcycle Division assisted with the escort and Killeen Power Sports, Kay’s and Fort Hood Harley Davidson provided recovery trucks and trailers to assist with recovery and transportation of any motorcycle, as needed.

While the event was geared toward motorcycle safety, Campbell reminded traditional drivers to follow traffic laws and be aware of motorcyclists on the roads. Proper signaling, slowing down, double checking blind spots and looking out for motorcyclists are keys to preventing accidents.

Just before sending the riders off, Campbell and Command Sgt. Maj. Arthur L. Coleman Jr. signed a proclamation that declared May as the Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month for III Corps and Fort Hood.

“We urge all personnel, whether you’re a rider or not, do their part to increase motorcycle safety and awareness in the Great Place, and throughout this wonderful community that supports us in superb fashion,” Campbell said.