Posted on 02/06/2006 6:01:17 AM PST by Abathar
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- More troops have died in off-duty motorcycle accidents after they returned from duty in Afghanistan than have been killed fighting there since Sept. 11, 2001, safety records show.
Military commanders in North Carolina say the deaths are largely the result of boredom, bonus pay, and adrenalin to burn off after troops return from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Nearly 350 troops have died on bikes since the 2001 terrorist attacks. That's compared to 259 killed while serving in Afghanistan.
Nearly 1,000 more troops have been injured on bikes.
Marine Lance Cpl. Mark Strickland, 24, was one of five Marines from Camp Lejeune who were involved in serious motorcycle crashes in October. Four of them had been home just a few weeks from combat in Iraq's deadly Anbar Province. Three of the Marines were killed and another lost a leg.
"When the doctor told me that he was dead, I told him that wasn't acceptable, it just wasn't acceptable," said Andrea Strickland, 22, the widow of Mark Strickland. "I said, 'He just got back from a war zone, and you're going to tell me that he died doing something he loved?' "
The problem could get worse as some 20,000 Marines and sailors begin returning to bases in North Carolina over the coming weeks.
"Our goal is not to see the same thing happen," said Lt. Gen. James F. Amos, commander of the Camp Lejeune-based II Marine Expeditionary Force.
Amos described the crashes in October as "a cold shot to the heart" and ordered a crackdown. The following month normal base operations were halted to focus on safety, particularly for motorcyclists.
Camp Lejeune also added safety programs and re-emphasized existing ones. These include a mentor program Amos created that's being considered as a model for the entire Marine Corps.
The Army hasn't been immune to off-duty motorcycle deaths, with more than 40 in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. The Army chief of staff issued a memo in December that urge experienced riders to cut the accident rate by mentoring beginners.
The military has enough of a challenge maintaining a force that repeated deployments have left severely stretched, according to two reports released last month - one commissioned by the Pentagon, the other by Congressional Democrats.
In response to the motorcycle injuries, Maj. Gen. Robert C. Dickerson Jr., who oversees most of the Marine Corps' East Coast facilities, has visited area motorcycle dealers and asked them to pass out Corps-funded $100 vouchers to Marine customers for the safety classes.
"I've owned three motorcycles, and they're a lot of fun, but you've got to be careful," Dickerson said. He says the Marines need risk-takers but it's crucial to draw a line between courage and recklessness.
Troops say the bikes fill the adrenalin void they left behind in the war zone.
"Riders who have been in accidents have told us that it's the legal crack cocaine," said J.T. Coleman, a civilian spokesman for the Army's Combat Readiness Center in Fort Rucker, Ala., which tracks accidents among soldiers. "They say it gives them the same adrenaline rush they get driving their tank through Baghdad or whatever."
ping
Motorcycle Quagmire!!!!
Tragic, but, we weren't fighting in Afghanistan on Sept 11 or even 2 days later. SO what has that to do with it?
Just like Lawrence of Arabia!!
What no mention of "SUV" killings?
Nothing wrong with riding a Motorcycle, the problem is these kids are getting on bikes when they have never even touched a bike, let alone a liter class bike. Over @ Langley AFB you have to get your commanders 'permission' to ride on or off base anymore, on top of the riders course that is required to get the decals.
"on top of the riders course that is required to get the decals"
Same at Travis Air Force Base, the course is a 2 day course 8 or 9 hours each day.
I don't usually complain about newswire stories but this one is very sloppily written.
Is the 350 figure military wide? Are the Army numbers part of the 350?
In any case, I had no idea the numbers were this high. In a way many of these deaths are an extension of combat death numbers. Sad.
bump
those who choose to ride accept the risks. For myself, I would rather walk than risk getting hit on a motorcycle.
had friends killed, seen many heinous accidents...
That's because motorcycles are death traps. Street bikes, anyway.
Servicemen and motorcycles are an uneasy mix. A Navy "A" school classmate of mine died shortly after graduation when he wrecked his motorcycle. He'd only had the bike a couple of weeks.
Please don't. My husband has one and I have pitched a fit since three weeks ago when a really good friend's husband died on a motorcycle. Another friend a couple of years ago became paralized from the waist down after sliding into a tree to avoid a vehicle changing lanes and literally wrapped around the tree and broke her back. My friend's husband that died a few weeks ago, his helmet came off when he hit a car in front that pulled out in front of him (people just glance when pulling out into traffic and don't see the slim sillouette of a motorcyle) from the force of the impact and then his head hit the pavement twice. That is all it took.
When I was in the Navy in 1984 and 1985 there was one death of a sailor each week. They were buying fast Japanese bikes and killing themselves.
Troops say the bikes fill the adrenalin void they left behind in the war zone."
This is why they're getting killed.
I ride my bike to work every day and I don't get adrenalin rushes doing it.
Before I would marry my DH ten years ago, there were a few things I demanded, or the deal was off:
1. All of his Student Loans were paid off.
2. We would buy a farm.
3. The motorcyle was sold.
He did 1 & 2 easily; he dinked around on number 3, but did sell the bike to the moving van driver that moved us to our farm...ON moving day, LOL!
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