106th Rescue Wing Saves with Motorcycle Safety Course Published June 24, 2014 By Senior Airman Christopher S Muncy 106RQW WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NEW YORK - -- Summer means the 106th Rescue Wing's motorcycle riders finally have a chance to hit the road, but the Air Force is concerned that the road could hit them; with tragic results. In 2013 nine of the 21 Airmen killed in automobile accidents died while riding motorcycles. A 14-year review of military motor vehicle accidents conducted by the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center in 2013 revealed that just over 25 percent of all service members killed in off duty accidents died while riding. Most of those deaths were during the summer months. To try to keep 106th Airmen from becoming one of those statistics the wing is offering free motorcycle safety training to riders at Gabreski Air National Guard Base. For the first time ever, the Lee Parks Total Control Advanced Riding Clinic (TC ARC) is currently being offered to 106th airmen by the American Motorcycle Driving School. "It promises specific, measurable improvements to a participants riding skill," according to Col Lawrence Sullivan, the Wing Safety Officer. "The TC ARC meets the "sports bike specific" training requirements of Air Force Instruction 91-207, but it also applies to every other type of rider," Sullivan said. By offering this training locally, the 106th is also saving a large amount of money," he said. For each rider-trainee, the 106th would be losing three productive workdays by sending them to another location, plus all the associated expenses that go along with TDY travel. By bringing the training to FS Gabreski Air National Guard Base , the 106th is saving approximately $25,000 for every weekend the training is offered, Sullivan explained. "No matter what skill level they're at now, the TC ARC will make a recognizable difference in a participant's ability to control their bike, provide them a better understanding of how their bike works and show how what a rider does affects their bike's ability to maintain traction and control," Sullivan said. The course also imparts to participants the ability to self-diagnose riding problems they may face in the future, he said. "This is critically important," Sullivan added, "because while it's great to be able to ride better in front of a skilled coach, it's far better to be able to coach yourself when you detect a riding problem in the future."