JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA –
The Green Knights won the annual Knights of the Round Table tournament for a fifth consecutive year.
The Green Knights are an armed forces motorcycle club with 130 chapters worldwide. The club consists of active duty, retired, guard and reserve military members who remain active in the military community.
The clubs contending in the tournament are the Green Knights (military), the Blue Knights (police officers) and the Red Knights (fire fighters). This year the event was hosted by the Blue Knights in D’lberville, Mississippi. The tournament consisted of a series of motorcycle riding events, a medieval costume contest and a blacksmithing competition.
The scepter was awarded to Ray Sagan of the local 37th chapter for contributing the most points to the Green Knights’ victory in the tournament and will be displayed at the headquarters building here.
“I had the honor of receiving the Best Knight title this year, and was humbled to be named caretaker of the scepter for a year,” said Ray Sagan, Civil Engineer Squadron maintenance mechanic.
Local club members like Sagan promote motorcycle safety and work closely with base agencies to give back. With motorcycle riding being a year round activity here, it is a necessity to constantly remind riders and those around them to be safe.
“The Green Knights promote safety and mentorship to all riders,” said Sagan. “We work closely with wing staff and encourage our members to become rider-coaches on base.”
Courses on motorcycle safety are mandatory before riding on base. First, a rider must complete the Basic Rider Course, which is run by the Occupational Safety office. All initial equipment, including the motorcycle, is provided for participants. The training grounds and equipment are located on the JB Charleston Weapons Station 36 times a year on weekends.
The Basic Rider Course II and the Advanced Rider course meet the criteria for additional training and are also taught by the Occupational Safety office.
Each unit on JB Charleston is appointed a Motorcycle Safety Representative (MSR) who facilitates scheduling the class with James McMurry, Occupational Safety traffic safety manager. McMurry is in charge of all motorcycle safety courses on base.
“We aim to be as proactive as possible,” said McMurry. “We genuinely care. We want to keep our service members as safe as possible.”