By It is hard to believe, but it is true that motorcycles are more dangerous to the lives of Marines then patrolling in Iraq:
Fatalities among motorcycle riders in the U.S. military increased in 2008 — and for at least one service, they exceeded the number of combat deaths in Iraq.
More than 120 servicemembers were killed in motorcycle crashes in fiscal year 2008, up from 97 the year before, according to Defense Department Web sites. It’s a trend that has prompted safety officials to enhance the motorcycle safety program on Okinawa.
Twenty-five Marines died in motorcycle crashes worldwide in 2008, five more than the number of Marines killed in combat in Iraq over the same period. For the Corps, the number represented the most motorcycle-related deaths during any single year in the past decade. [Stars & Stripes]
7:41 am on February 14th, 2009 1
Look for some knee-jerk over reaction from USFK. If wearing one road guard vest is not keeping everyone safe, maybe wearing two will do the trick.
Of course there is no mention that coming back from a 15 month deployment with a craving to make up for lost freedom and individuality (and big money in the bank) means that more service members are buying bikes. So statistically, there may be fewer accidents per capita. We'll never know because it's about making the story fit the conclusion.
10:16 am on February 14th, 2009 2
I thought motorcycle riders need to attend and graduate some kind of training course before they get a motorcycle?
Then they need to wear long pants, boots, long sleeve shirt, road guard vest, helmet and gloves when they ride.
Where is the problem?
4:43 pm on February 14th, 2009 3
Look, as a long time biker, we aren't the statistical problem. The guys who haven't much experience with bikes that buys one when they come back from deployment are the guys that kills themselves. Especially the dudes who go out and buy Suzuki GSX-R 1300 Hyabusa's, Yamaha K-1's, Honda CBR's and the like. They buy these sportbikes ready to tear ass and aren't ready to handle riding bikes of such power. Sure they can ride them but a lot will outride their abilities on such bikes or will push the bikes beyond their limits of grip.
Case in point, coming back from Bosnia in '99 a lot of guys in my unit bought crotch rockets and within a month or two most had wrecked them causing a knee jerk ban on bikes for a while in the battalion. I had to suffer because jackasses were stupid.
4:55 pm on February 14th, 2009 4
When you buy a bike before you can register it on base you have to take the MSF Basic Riders Course. A lot of states require it to put motorcycle on your license, some don't. If you already have it and/or Motorcycle endorsement on your license you're required to take the Experienced Riders Course every three years mandated by DoD.
All the stuff required for you to wear won't save your ass if you're doing 140 mph and hit a car or an object and highside it or lowside on slippery or wet pavement after you've lost grip on the bike doing something stupid. You'll be a long streak of blood, skin and viscera on the pavement.
The most important piece of safety gear is a helmet and well, riding a motorcycle it only protects your grape from certain things like low speed crashes and keeping your head from rubbing the pavement but it's not a complete and total lifesaver.
1:58 am on February 16th, 2009 5
I was being sarcastic because its such a lame article. After all, these guys are the smarter generation. Remember when we started saying that?
2:40 pm on February 17th, 2009 6
I lost an outstanding SSG and almost lost one company commander in separate incidents where some jackass bumped them off the road. (both hit and runs) Another SGT of mine smacked into the rear of truck that had no working tail lights that stopped suddenly(and illegally) in the middle of the highway. My uncle lost 2 inches off his right leg when another jackass shot through a red light. In short, it often has nothing to do with the rider, but the idiots riding around in cars.
9:35 pm on February 17th, 2009 7
Hamilton, I'm glad I don't know you.
6:40 am on January 16th, 2010 8
Wow, that really puts things into perspective! I read an article about different auto manufacturers going over to Irag with nice vehicles to train soldiers how to drive properly. Lots of soldiers come back feeling invincible and get into horrible crashes, so they figure if they are at least trained to drive fast well, then they may not crash. Personally, I think you're just giving them one more reason to feel invincible… I can't imagine the pain a family must go through to have a son come back from the war, then 2 weeks later die in a motorcycle accident… it's just so sad.