While Fort Hood saw 19 suicides in 2012 — nearly double that of 2011 and just three less than the record 22 suicides in 2010 — even more soldiers suffered untimely deaths at the Army post in incidents ranging from motorcycle crashes to shootings to train accidents.
At least a dozen Fort Hood soldiers died in vehicle crashes in 2012; eight were on motorcycles. Motor vehicle crashes, and especially motorcycle crashes, are a long-standing problem throughout the military, and a 2012 Statesman investigation found similarly high numbers of motor vehicle crashes among Texas veterans who died after returning from war and leaving the military.
The motorcycle deaths come despite the extensive training and safety measures that Fort Hood officials require of all soldiers who ride a motorcycle. Officials and safety experts have said that returning service members can struggle with driving outside a war zone, where aggressive habits such as fast driving, avoiding unknown objects on the road and not coming to a stop help keep soldiers alive.
Riders must take up to three training courses, participate in a mentorship coaching program and wear fluorescent vests, helmets and eye protection. And soldiers returning from deployments must take a refresher course before riding again.
Several of the reported deaths were the result of extremely risky behavior on the part of soldiers. Among those killed in 2012 were a soldier who lost control while “doing wheelies” outside a Fort Hood-area restaurant in April and another who died during a February police chase after participating in motorcycle races on a Killeen avenue, according to Fort Hood safety memos.
Three Fort Hood soldiers were killed by gunshots last year. One was killed in October during an argument outside an off-post house party; another by a fellow soldier who told authorities he was trying to cure the victim’s hiccups by scaring him with a gun he thought was loaded with dummy rounds. One soldier was shot and killed by Fort Hood police after they came under fire while approaching his car, which was parked near a lake on the post.
Two soldiers were killed in train-related incidents outside Fort Hood. In the first, a soldier drove past lowered gate guards at a railroad crossing and was struck by an oncoming train. In the second incident, freight train engineers said they saw a body on the tracks in Copperas Cove before running over a soldier. It’s unclear how the soldier ended up on the tracks; police refused to release further information on the incident.
One Fort Hood soldier died from an unintentional drug overdose, according to Fort Hood officials. The 2012 Statesman investigation found overdoses, particularly of prescription drugs, were nearly as prevalent as suicides among Texas veterans receiving disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Several of last year’s untimely Fort Hood deaths remain unexplained. Five soldiers, ranging in age from 24 to 47, were found “unresponsive” in their homes or barracks, according to Fort Hood officials, but their deaths weren’t ruled suicide or overdose by medical examiners. Fort Hood officials didn’t provide their causes of death.
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Source: Statesman (Schwarts, 1/19)
Monday, January 21, 2013
Friday, January 11, 2013
Texas Tornado Boot Camp 2013 Camp Dates
Texas Tornado Boot Camp will be hosting special guest instructors; 2012 AMA Pro Daytona Sportbike racer Jake Zemke and the one and only Mr. Daytona, Scott Russell will be in attendance. These boys will be at camp ALL WEEK and are ready to get rowdy with ya’ll!
The week camp will be stacked full of racing curriculum, team challenges, endurance races, gun challenges, a points paying four-race series and of course, all the after-hours, smack talkin’ bench racing you can handle.
Folks, we mean to give you all the skills that two former World Superbike Champions and a 2008 Formula Extreme Champion can muster up! Better bring your big boy pants; it’s going to be one for the record books!
Get prepared for your 2013 racing season by joining us, January 28th- February 3rd
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? ONLY 6 SPOTS LEFT! GET SIGNED UP RACERS, THE TEXAS FUN AWAITS!
2013 TTBC Schedule
January 28th - February 3rd- 1 Week Racer Camp (Special Price $1950.00)
March 6th & 7th 2-Day Road Race School- Harris Hill Raceway (Featuring Colin Edwards for the Special Price of $1200.00)
March 9th - DIRT WARS I (Special Price $125.00)
April 13th - 16nd 4 Day Camp - Pre-Austin GP
April 23rd - 26th 4 Day Camp - Post-Austin GP
June 6th - 9th 4 Day Camp
July 25th - 28th 4 Day Camp - Post-Laguna GP
August 10th - 13th 4 Day Camp - Pre-Indy GP
October 31st - November 3rd 4 Day Camp- Halloween
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Source: Motorcycle USA (Waheed, 1/9)
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
BMW Recalling 2,385 Motorcycles for Kickstand Problem
In a report to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, BMW said the kickstand on its S 1000 RR models could fail, allowing the $15,000 motorcycle to topple over.
BMW told the safety agency that the problem was that the attachment threads were not properly cleaned. So the remaining bits of metal could allow the bolts to loosen and the kickstand could separate from the frame.
BMW told the agency it had its first report of a problem in March followed by five more in June and July. “Given the low number of warranty claims and the long period of time in which the claims were received,” BMW said it continued to “monitor” the situation.
Following some additional reports in Germany – as well as in the United States – BMW began investigating in October, found the cause and concluded a recall was needed.
BMW described the recall as “voluntary,” but once a manufacturer finds a safety problem it has five business days to inform the safety agency of its plan for a recall or face civil fines.
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Source: The New York Times (Jensen, 12/28)
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