Good well mostly good rIDE today

[old2soon]

    Not a Long RIDE by any means But a RIDE is a RIDE! Right? My Friend J T had textedf me that this past Wednesday that he was Not gonna be at our breakfast place because he was Still cleaning up storm damage. he's also on the Twin Bridges V F D. He could Not even gt out of his driveway due to storm felled trees. Sais those trees were twisted off at the tops by either high winds or an small tornado. And just decided to head over to his casa and observe the damage.
    The not so goos part of the RIDE involved forest rats and about a mile and a 1/4 from my casa a pickemup. J T had informed far too many deer here bouts lately. Generally But NOT Always deer usually feed in the evenings. On the way to J Ts place around a right hand sweeper over a slight rise and DANG a doe was standing in my travel path!  The 12 G/W has Good brakes!  Yuppers NO contact! The pickemup was cming up the US 60 off ramp and had stopped. That pickup was on my right and another pickup was on my lefty stopped coming out of the handi mart. I was at 40 MPH in a 45 speed limit zone and the little voice said cover the entire braking system and as I rolled off the throttle pickup on the right pulled out n front of me!  Again HAPPY the 12 G/W has Good Brakes! I only rolled 40 miles today But patience and blood pressure Did git checked today!  RIDE SAFE.

[scooperhsd]

Yesterday, our local police department had a LIve to Ride  / Ride to Live,held by their Motorcycle unit. FREE, and they even supplied lunch. Mostly a bunch of low speed throttle / clutch / brake exercises, based off their training to be motorcycle cops. I took it to get refreshed on my skills (since I haven't done much riding in the past couple years).

I wasn't even the oldest participant either, although I DID have the oldest bike ( ). The instructor said when he got to be our age, that he is still riding... (he was 2 when I started serious street riding). Good class , and everybody had a good time.

[Jess from VA]

I had a fantastic ride today too.  Best of the year.  And lowest traffic I can remember out of town and back, and everywhere. 

Perfect sunny 72 (and no hotter).  I wore leathers because when I go West (as I always do) it goes up in elevation and gets chilly.  Glad I did.

Memorial Day (tomorrow) originated after the American Civil War as a way to honor soldiers who died in the conflict.

So I rode on Route One (which goes all the way to Key West), but up here it's called the Jefferson Davis Hwy.  Then on the Lee Hwy out West.  Rode through the Mananas National Battlefield Park (and over Bull Run Creek). I was on the John Marshall Hwy (USSC) and the James Madison Hwy (president).

Way out in the countryside, I pass Busthead Road (but never take it because it's bad dirt).  'Busthead' was a name given to rotgut moonshine whisky.  And 'shiners abounded in VA throughout history.

My flag is always up and lit at night.

That is all.   

[Jess from VA]

Yesterday, our local police department had a LIve to Ride  / Ride to Live,held by their Motorcycle unit. FREE, and they even supplied lunch. Mostly a bunch of low speed throttle / clutch / brake exercises, based off their training to be motorcycle cops. I took it to get refreshed on my skills (since I haven't done much riding in the past couple years).

I wasn't even the oldest participant either, although I DID have the oldest bike ( ). The instructor said when he got to be our age, that he is still riding... (he was 2 when I started serious street riding). Good class , and everybody had a good time.

You know Scott, when I started riding in my teens, there was no such thing as 'inside the box MSF training' or classes.  In fact MI had no separate motorcycle endorsement on your driver's license;  If you were legal to drive cars, you were legal to ride bikes.  (Of course, they do now.)

When I went in the Air Force at 31 (Maxwell AFB AL), I took my Honda 750-4 with Vetter fairing and hard bags with me.  When I went to get it registered on base, they asked for my MSF certificate and I didn't even know what that was.  Well lieutenant, with no MSF certificate, we won't register your bike, you cannot ride on base, and you'll have to push it to the gate to ride off base.  Well crap!!

So I got in the next base MSF class (which you took on your own bike, not little 125/250s they supplied).  Spending all day riding around slow speed inside the box was quite the challenge but I passed, and the NCOs who taught the course even asked if I would help them out teaching the classes on weekends, which I did (after getting the OK from my Col).  (I know I've told this story before)

I'm as good at riding my Valk Interstates slow speed and tight maneuvers as anyone, but I would not care to do it inside an MSF box.

You said your class was slow speed throttle-clutch-braking exercises, but you didn't say it was 'MSF inside the box' training.  

[DragonRdr]

Yesterday, our local police department had a LIve to Ride  / Ride to Live,held by their Motorcycle unit. FREE, and they even supplied lunch. Mostly a bunch of low speed throttle / clutch / brake exercises, based off their training to be motorcycle cops. I took it to get refreshed on my skills (since I haven't done much riding in the past couple years).

I wasn't even the oldest participant either, although I DID have the oldest bike ( ). The instructor said when he got to be our age, that he is still riding... (he was 2 when I started serious street riding). Good class , and everybody had a good time.




You know Scott, when I started riding in my teens, there was no such thing as 'inside the box MSF training' or classes.  In fact MI had no separate motorcycle endorsement on your driver's license;  If you were legal to drive cars, you were legal to ride bikes.  (Of course, they do now.)

When I went in the Air Force at 31 (Maxwell AFB AL), I took my Honda 750-4 with Vetter fairing and hard bags with me.  When I went to get it registered on base, they asked for my MSF certificate and I didn't even know what that was.  Well lieutenant, with no MSF certificate, we won't register your bike, you cannot ride on base, and you'll have to push it to the gate to ride off base.  Well crap!!

So I got in the next base MSF class (which you took on your own bike, not little 125/250s they supplied).  Spending all day riding around slow speed inside the box was quite the challenge but I passed, and the NCOs who taught the course even asked if I would help them out teaching the classes on weekends, which I did (after getting the OK from my Col).  (I know I've told this story before)

I'm as good at riding my Valk Interstates slow speed and tight maneuvers as anyone, but I would not care to do it inside an MSF box.

You said your class was slow speed throttle-clutch-braking exercises, but you didn't say it was 'MSF inside the box' training.  

Jess, same thing happened to me when I got to Kadena AB in 1980. I had to go to the base safety motorcycle course before I could ride on or off base. I'm not sure if it was the MSF course, not sure it even existed back then but it was pretty much the same. I did the course on my Yamaha 500. Needless to say riding in Japan was different because they drive on the left side of the road. Many years later when I was stationed on Hanscom AFB I volunteered to help with the MSF beginner's course and experienced rider's course.  Base safety sent me TDY to Nellis where they had the MSF Instructor course to certify me. I retired in April 2000 and I really miss those day's and helping the young airman become better rider's.

Happy Memorial Day!

Cheer's

Rich

[Jess from VA]

Jess, same thing happened to me when I got to Kadena AB in 1980. I had to go to the base safety motorcycle course before I could ride on or off base. I'm not sure if it was the MSF course, not sure it even existed back then but it was pretty much the same. I did the course on my Yamaha 500. Needless to say riding in Japan was different because they drive on the left side of the road. Many years later when I was stationed on Hanscom AFB I volunteered to help with the MSF beginner's course and experienced rider's course.  Base safety sent me TDY to Nellis where they had the MSF Instructor course to certify me. I retired in April 2000 and I really miss those day's and helping the young airman become better rider's.  

Happy Memorial Day!

Cheer's

Rich


Well Rich, we have pretty similar stories from Military service.  Those were the best years of my life (though not always a bed of roses).  I finally found a career I loved, but in 1992 with the big draw-down (one in three had to go; 200,000 men and women), and that was that.

When I went overseas for 2 back to back tours in Turkey, I could take a car or a bike, not both.  The Turks are (or were) universally maniac drivers who always used the horn and never the brakes (as the horn never wears out).  So I took my SS El Camino.  I would not have survived riding a bike over there, and I ended up using my car for many long distance TDYs.  Besides the three main operating bases, the USAF had around 17 mountaintop surveillance/listening stations (USAF/CIA), and I did site visits to most all of them.  You got out there in very remote mountains, it was like going back to Biblical times, more than half the men rode donkeys as daily transportation.  

A dozen Turks wanted to buy my El Camino.  They hauled their women around in the back of small pickups, and they were crazy for a V8.  The complex and confusing customs laws over there would not allow me to sell it, even if I wanted to, which I didn't.  They didn't care about those laws, and a little bribery would have solved the problem (a way of life over there).

Happy Memorial Day to you too.  

[scooperhsd]

What we did on Saturday was not an MSF course - it was a toned down version of what the motorcycle cops took to get qualified, they on the Harley police bikes, the rest of of on our daily riders.

I've taken the beginning rider course (also on my 1976 CB750F), the experianced rider course (on either or both of my 1981 CB750F and my 1994 PC800)m and this refresher on the Valk. the older the rider, the more likely they were on Harley - type bikes (tourers).

When I got to NAS Pensacola in Aug 1984, they didn't keep me from riding on base, but they did want me to take the course ASAP. It probably helped that I had my 76 on a trailer . I also rode at any other base I went to - Navsta Norfolk,  Newport, Mayport, and the Navy yard. Boston was so crazy that I decided I DIDN'T want to ride there (I also don't want to drive in Atlanta ever again).

 When I got my unrestricted license in 1976 (age 16), I went ahead and got the Motorcycle license class as well, even though I didn't have a bike yet. I kind of wish they would have had them available in my city at the time, but, they didn't.

[DragonRdr]

Well Rich, we have pretty similar stories from Military service.  Those were the best years of my life (though not always a bed of roses).  I finally found a career I loved, but in 1992 with the big draw-down (one in three had to go; 200,000 men and women), and that was that.

When I went overseas for 2 back to back tours in Turkey, I could take a car or a bike, not both.  The Turks are (or were) universally maniac drivers who always used the horn and never the brakes (as the horn never wears out).  So I took my SS El Camino.  I would not have survived riding a bike over there, and I ended up using my car for many long distance TDYs.  Besides the three main operating bases, the USAF had around 17 mountaintop surveillance/listening stations (USAF/CIA), and I did site visits to most all of them.  You got out there in very remote mountains, it was like going back to Biblical times, more than half the men rode donkeys as daily transportation.  

A dozen Turks wanted to buy my El Camino.  They hauled their women around in the back of small pickups, and they were crazy for a V8.  The complex and confusing customs laws over there would not allow me to sell it, even if I wanted to, which I didn't.  They didn't care about those laws, and a little bribery would have solved the problem (a way of life over there).

Happy Memorial Day to you too.  
[/quote]

Jess,

Wow we did have similar careers. I spent a year remote tour in Turkey at Murted, a small MUNSS site just north of Ankara on the Istanbul highway. Murted was the Turkish Air Force's 4th Main Jet base. You're right about the driver's over there. Since I was on a remote I wasn't allowed to bring a vehicle. I did get to see a lot of interesting places. Take care and keep the shiny side up!

Rich

[Jess from VA]

Jess,

Wow we did have similar careers. I spent a year remote tour in Turkey at Murted, a small MUNSS site just north of Ankara on the Istanbul highway. Murted was the Turkish Air Force's 4th Main Jet base. You're right about the driver's over there. Since I was on a remote I wasn't allowed to bring a vehicle. I did get to see a lot of interesting places. Take care and keep the shiny side up!

Rich

Wow indeed Rich.  In all my travels in Turkey, I can't recall if I ever visited Murted, but I don't think so.  My first tour was at HQ in Ankara (May 85-May 86), and as the jr officer I got all the jobs no one else wanted, though I mostly enjoyed visiting all those remote sites.  The purpose of which was to provide legal assistance to all those guys doing remote tours out in nowhere (No, you can't divorce your stateside wife in a Turkish court, and if you marry your Turkish girlfriend, bigamy is a criminal offense in both Turkey and the US.  Yes I can prepare a simple will for you).

My 2d tour was as Area Defense Counsel at Incirlik AB in the South (May 86-June 87) and I didn't travel as much during that tour (except to defend a few Special and General Courts Martial in Ankara or Izmir).  All I ever wanted to do was be a criminal prosecutor, but they needed a guy down there pronto and I was the guy.  It was about the only way a Jag Captain could run his own shop, even if it was just me and my trusty SSgt paralegal.

Speaking of USAF paralegals, at least during my time, there was no direct career path to paralegal service.  Instead, Jag offices worldwide reached out and hand picked (ask them to join up) the best and brightest Airmen and NCOs out of other career fields (often pissing off their chain of commands).  This was especially good for married serving NCOs, since we did a very good job of keeping them together throughout a career of changing assignments/locations.  

[scooperhsd]

That's one thing the Air Force could learn from the Navy - how to get your paralegals. In the Navy, Paralegals are selected from the Yeoman Rating - they do work for CO's / Flag officers and when they goto paralegal, they are called Legalmen (LN) . Usually among the best YN's.

[Jess from VA]

That's one thing the Air Force could learn from the Navy - how to get your paralegals. In the Navy, Paralegals are selected from the Yeoman Rating - they do work for CO's / Flag officers and when they goto paralegal, they are called Legalmen (LN) . Usually among the best YN's.

Except the USAF has no Yeoman rating.  Most of our paralegals came from Personnel and other administrative ratings (type, shorthand, run computers, and smart).  And I suppose it's true across all ratings and services, but our paralegal E8-E9s were some of the wisest old souls you would ever meet.  More than a few times in office staff meetings the senior bird colonel boss would lay out a particular problem we had to deal with, and all the Jag officers would look at each other in silence.  And the old chief would chime in with a perfect solution (maybe not strictly legal, but good enough for government work).

We called them zebra stripers.

[scooperhsd]

Is that a picture of one of the Chief Master Sgt of the AirForce ? 

Once , I was going to the Navy Ball, and I just happened to pass the MCPON at the time.

[Jess from VA]

I'm not sure Scott, I just hunted up a good photo to post of a USAF master chief showing the zebra stripes.  And I can't remember if the extra star in the chevrons means he's the top enlisted airman.  It's not like you ran across them often, or ever.  

You can't read his name tag in the pic.

I had a number of the same ribbons he had, but not the Bronze Star or Legion of Merit.