In celebration of Motorcycle Safety Month, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) riders shook up their workday by hitting the road, May 19, to build camaraderie and enjoy the weather.

After morning muster, the riders each completed a safety inspection before hitting the road for the 110 mile trip.

"When we are out there riding, we're a riding family. We have the same exact role, to be that safety observer, to maintain awareness and promote a safe program," said Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Joshua Swindle, leading petty officer, NMCP Motorcycle Safety Program.

This is the second annual ride hosted by the NMCP Motorcycle Safety Program, but the first ride hosted by an all new program leadership. Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Carl Del Santo stated that he doesn't want to just maintain the program. He wants the motorcycle community to be revitalized at NMCP.

"The biggest thing we want to do with the program is to promote a safe, fun and interactive program that the riders here at the hospital run," Swindle said. "We make sure we are in compliance with the instruction, but for every rider in NMCP, it's their program."

While on the ride, "we could evaluate the safety among riders [and] ensure they have instilled proper riding behaviors and tactics for group riding and single riding," said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Aaron Lance, assistant leading petty officer, NMCP Motorcycle Safety Program.

"This is a program that allows you to get out and network and meet people on common ground," said Swindle. "We all ride, and we all love to ride. This allows us to meet and learn from each other, to bond with our shipmates, and at the same time,stay in compliance with the instruction."

"When we pulled away from base it wasn't a 'hey, master chief what's the plan?' It was 'hey, group what are we doing?" Swindle said. "We had an [hospital corpsman second class] leading in the front, a brand new [seaman] who had only been riding for a few months, up to a master chief whose been doing it for years."

Currently, 79 riders are registered with the safety program within NMCP and branch health clinics, and 27 Sailors have expressed interested in becoming riders. Program leadership urges interested Sailors to have a conversation with them as their first step.

"We'd like to be able to sit down and talk with them so we know what their expectations are and we can answer any questions that they may have and help them through the process," Swindle said.

All Sailors who operate, or plan on operating a motorcycle, on or off base are required to attend training courses. At NMCP, the Motorcycle Safety Program requires a copy of the approved request chit three business days before the course.

"Everyone is required to take a basic riders course," Swindle said. "There they learn everything they need for learning how to ride and basic concepts. The motorcycle and gear are all provided for them too."

Once the basic rider's course is completed, Sailors who ride a sport bike are required to take the advanced riding course for sport bikes. Sailors who ride a cruiser have the option to complete the cruisers course or the sport bike course. These follow-on, advanced riding courses must be completed within 60 days of purchasing the bike. These courses are valid for three years.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, visit www.navy.mil/.