JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. - Do you have an itch to feel the wind on your face, the freedom of the open road and enjoying it all without the potential for the asphalt scraping your skin?

The Army Traffic Safety Program offers Motorcycle Safety Foundation courses every week at the motorcycle range on-base for free to all active-duty military members. Some of these courses are required to operate a motorcycle as a soldier so you can enjoy riding safely.

"I love riding," said Howard Kellogg, an Army Traffic Safety Program instructor. "People who don't ride don't understand the passion and the freedom of being on the road on two wheels."

The Basic Rider Course is intended for the person who has never operated a motorcycle. The class provides the motorcycles and helmets to students to aid in the learning process. It also allows the soldier a chance to decide if riding is for them before spending thousands of dollars on a bike. The first day is classroom instruction. Hands-on-training is implemented on the second day and the course ends on the third day with a hands-on evaluation.

"Students in the BRC gain the knowledge of how a motorcycle operates and they gain a start into maneuvering a motorcycle safely," said Kellogg. "We also teach them that safe riding is more than just taking the basic course. These are just basic skills and riders need to continue practicing and take the more advanced courses to hone their skills because these skills save lives."

At first, the soldiers looked a bit nervous about working all the different controls on the motorcycles during the hands-on training. But by the end of the day, they were weaving in and out of cones, performing emergency stops and looking very confident showing off the new skills they learned.

"I've always wanted a bike," said Sgt. Mark Duncan, a generator mechanic in B Company, 2nd BSB. "I came to the course to fill the requirement but I'm glad I it's required because the instructors are very helpful and the class is very informative."

Other motorcycle courses are offered for free to active-duty military. The Experienced Rider Coarse is required within one year of completing the BRC. The Military Sports bike Rider Coarse replaces the ERC if the soldier rides a sport-style motorcycle and either the ERC or SRC must be retaken every three years for military riders. The Motorcycle Refresher Training is required for soldiers who have been deployed for six or more months if they have already completed one of the other courses before deployment.

For more information, contact your unit's motorcycle mentor or post safety office.

Photo by Sgt. James Hale

Soldiers attending Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Basic Rider Course March 6 on Joint Base Lewis-McChord signal to the instructor that their motorcycle is in neutral before maneuvering though the next practice exercise. The BRC is a required course for all Army motorcycle riders and all other riders while on the installation.