Photo by Eve Meinhardt/Paraglide Master Sgt. James Musnicki, right, 82nd Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, performs a safety check on Master Sgt. Benjamin Wicks’, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd BCT, Honda Goldwing March 17. Wicks and 57 other riders participated in the 82nd BSB’s “Panther Steel Stampede Run” emphasizing motorcycle safety for the Soldiers of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team.

There is an old saying “once you learn how to ride a bike, you never forget.” While that statement may apply to the mechanics involved with riding both a bicycle and a motorcycle, that doesn’t mean that an occasional reminder about safety isn’t in order.

On March 17, the 82nd Brigade Support Battalion hosted a Panther Steel Stampede Run for the Soldiers of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team. Command Sgt. Maj. Natividad Lopez said since many Soldiers will be taking out their bikes for the first time since the brigade’s return from Iraq in November, this was a good chance to get back to the basics of riding.

“Riding a bike is a perishable skill. It’s important to have a refresher and get back to the basics,” said Lopez, the command sergeant major for the 82nd BSB who led the ride on his Harley Davidson. “We want to send the message out that it’s okay to ride a motorcycle, but you have to be safe and get away from some of the bad habits you may slip into when you ride.”

Lopez, who is leaving Fort Bragg for a position in Fort Hood, Texas, said that this is the first time the brigade has hosted an event like this and he hopes it will become a quarterly event.

“I’d like this event to continue to happen every quarter and be able to leave a legacy of safety behind me,” he said. “Our paratroopers are always busy, but we’re never too busy to be safe.”
Soldiers participating in the ride were only allowed to be a part of the event after proving they met all the requirements for riding a motorcycle on post. This included wearing all the proper protective gear; showing their license, registration, motorcycle safety course card and insurance information; and performing a maintenance check on their bike. The check looked at tire wear, fuel levels and turn signals.

Master Sgt. James Musnicki orchestrated the event, including mapping the route, planning the rest stops and organizing medical support. He said that even though he doesn’t ride, he thinks that it is important for the Army to have events like this to support the Soldiers who have motorcycles.

“The people who ride motorcycles span a lot of age and experience levels,” said Musnicki, who was the 82nd BSB’s first sergeant for three years and will step up as the acting command sergeant major when Lopez leaves. “There’s the fearless 18 year olds who just started riding and go above their skill level and the ones who are timid. We’re getting them out here with experienced riders like Command Sergeant Major Lopez where we can help them learn how to be safe and help instill some confidence in their abilities.”

As the riders gathered in preparation for the event, 58 motorcycles of every body style and engine size from sport bikes to cruiser bikes, choppers and road-worthy trail bikes filled the 3rd BCT parking lot. The Soldiers seemed excited to have a duty day centered on something they really enjoy doing — riding and showing off their motorcycles.

“It’s a nice change,” said Spc. Micah Lininger, Battery B, 1st Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, who rides a Honda CBR. “We have the opportunity to get out there with people on different types of bikes from different units, get away from work and ride together.”
Staff Sgt. Marc Hockensmith, Company B, 2nd Bn., 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, agreed and said it was a great opportunity to not only ride with others, but to learn from them as well.
“It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been riding or what type of bike you ride, you can always brush up on your skills and learn a little bit from everyone out here,” said Hockensmith as he climbed on his Harley.