Medical Group takes motorcycle safety mentorship ride to Madrid Published Sept. 9, 2008 By Lt. Col. Doreen F. Wilder 377th Medical Support Squadron KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, New Mexico -- On Aug. 23 we formed up at the Medical Clinic's parking lot at 8:30 a.m. The weather was absolutely excellent for the ride. It was a mentorship ride to assist the less experienced riders on basic riding safety and how to ride in a group. Lt. Col. Doreen F. Wilder, 377th Medical Support Squadron commander, and Lt. Col. Jeff Alder, 377th Aerospace Medicine Squadron commander, led the ride with the assistance of the 377th Medical Group motorcycle safety representative, Senior Airman Ison Tenney. Participating in the ride were 24 bikes and 31 people, including Brig. Gen. Everett Thomas, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center commander, Elizabeth Waltman, Medical Group honorary commander, Arthur Albert, ground safety, and Tech. Sgt. James Dalleska, 898th Munitions Squadron and experienced rider course instructor. The preparations for the trip began on Aug. 21, when Colonel Wilder held a safety meeting for all riders on safety techniques for riding in a group and the proper personal protection equipment that should be worn when riding. Mr. Albert and Sergeant Dalleska assisted in the preparation for the ride. On the day of the ride Colonel Wilder covered the hand signals to be used during a group ride, Airman Tenney demonstrated the proper way to do a pre-ride check of the motorcycle, which each of us did, and Sergeant Dalleska covered riding techniques for curves. We rode up Interstate 40 to Highway 14 to the town of Madrid. This route was chosen to give the maximum exposure to different types of road conditions to ride on and because the 377th Air Base Wing had lost an airman in July to an accident on this road.