APG hosts first Iron Horse motorcycle ride

To support motorcycle safety awareness and promote esprit de corps, the Aberdeen Proving Ground Garrison hosted the 1st Annual Ironhorse Motorcycle Safety and Fun Ride for service members, civilians, retirees and Family members, who live, work and ride in the APG community.

Major Matt Petraitis, commander of the Garrison's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, and Maj. Alexander Babington of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, organized the event which was conceived by Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Randy J. Rhoades.

Petraitis said the event was held to unite community riders as well as to reinforce Department of Defense standards for motorcycle safety. He credited Rhoades and Babington with the planning and advertising for the event and motorcycle safety expert David Backert for reviewing safety requirements at the start of the event.

"He [Backert] has been riding for more than thirty years and he can tell you what you're doing wrong," Petraitis said. "He reviewed safety checks, scenarios and lessons learned with the assistance from Mike Allen of the Garrison Safety Office."

Petraitis said the plan called for riders to gather at Fanshaw Field and from there, travel as a group up Route 136 to Route 1 in Darlington, cross the Conowingo Dam and return on Route 222 through Port Deposit and take Route 40 to Edgewood, ending at Capa Field in the Edgewood Area. Intermittent rain showers caused the route to be modified, he said, and the riders returned to Fanshaw Field instead.

He thanked the Chesapeake Harley Davidson on Route 1 in Darlington for providing riders with pit beef sandwiches and refreshments, door prizes, and a 10 percent discount for purchases and elements from the Directorate of Emergency Services for supporting the ride.

"DES police did a great job," Petraitis said. "They put up traffic control points and escorted us out through the [Route 715] gate."

City of Aberdeen police assisted by blocking intersections at the Aberdeen Wal Mart and train station on Route 40 for riders to pass through unhindered, he added.

In addition, first responders from the DES Fire Department followed the riders along with Maj. Randy McCauley, who provided a 34-foot long trailer that contained repair parts, a battery charger and air compressor.

"He doesn't ride but he volunteered to go along to help out if needed," Petraitis said.

"Feedback was positive," he added. "The riders liked it. Because the post is so dispersed, several said they appreciated the chance to meet and network with one another."

Members of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association also joined the riders.

Fred Posadas, an operations specialist with the Garrison S-3, and motocycle enthusiast who participated in the ride, called it "awesome," despite a lower than expected turnout.

"We had twenty-eight riders. We had hoped for more but the weather might have been a factor," he said. "But even though it rained, we continued on.

"Safety training was a big part of the day, and I think everyone learned from it," he added, noting that during the safety briefing riders were given the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's T-CLOCS ™ inspection checklist, which details what to check and look for when inspecting tires, controls, lights, oil, chassis and stands.

"We also reviewed hand signals for group rides and Preliminary Loss Reports from the U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center which reports on accident causes and preventive measures," Posadas said.

Petraitis said the Garrison plans to host two Ironhorse rides a year.

"We're planning another one in the spring, which is a good time to do a refresher on safety."

The Ironhorse Motorcycle Safety and Fun Ride is open to all military, civilians, retirees and their Family members in the APG community to promote motorcycle riding and safety awareness as well as to unite the APG riding community.

Look for information about the next ride in the APG News or contact Petraitis, 410-278-2104 or mathieu.petraitis@us.army.mil.