Motorcycle training saves GIs' lives

KILLEEN, Texas (KXAN) - Not all training at Fort Hood is battlefield training. A new program, the Warhorse Mentorship Ride, is intended to increase soldier safety on motorcycles.

"So, No. 1 common riders mistake is riders' mentality," said Army Capt. Jared Lang, who is stationed on Fort Hood.

This is part of a last-minute pep talk on this sunny, cool morning as these soldiers prepare for another mission. But this time, 18 soldiers have gone "plain clothes"  as part of the mentorship ride, a different kind of battalion, focusing on responsible motorcycle riding.

"There's a lot more coordination and attention to detail that goes into riding you have to be able to identify hazards long before you come to those hazards," Lang said. "So that you don't make a mistake that cause a crash or cause yourself to get injured."

"I've only been riding for about a month, but you got to be very, very alert, and you got to learn the signals of everything else going on on the road," Army Spc. Joshua Fletcher said. "There's a million things you got to watch out for."

Others consider the motorcycle a good respite from everyday duties on base. "It's good stress relief," Staff Sgt Miguel Nunez said. "I mean, after a long day or a long week, just getting out on the road, it's just you and the bike."

These motorcycle rides are fun and relaxing, but it's also about safety, and it's something particularly important with some of these soldiers who have often times just got back from war zones.

Stress and risky behavior may have contributed to some of these accidents. according to the Armed Forces Heath Surveillance Center. Last year, 4,021 soldiers died from motor vehicle accidents  Between 1999 and 2010, almost a quarter of active duty deaths were on motorbikes.