I am with a Marine Corps detachment at Eglin AFB. As the motorcycle safety rep I'm responsible for making sure we are adhering to both Marine Corps and Air Force regs. Several years ago the Marine Corps dropped their requirement to wear a high vis safety vest. I was told that the Air Force recently dropped theirs. I thought awesome now we don't need those goofy vests anymore. Well one of my Marines was told at the gate of Eglin he needed to be wearing one. Other times he is let through with no problem. Does anyone have a link to the air force regulation saying one way or the other. Or possibly the number of the base authority so that I can get a copy of the base regs. I know sometimes the word doesn't get to the gate guards. Any help would be appreciated. I also want to make it clear I'm not trying to argue the reg I just need to know what it is so I can enforce it and comply with it myself.

 

Here is a Stripes article on the change: http://www.stripes.com/news/new-moto...irmen-1.250466

If it were me though, I would just go to the guard shack and clarify there.

 

The kicker...it can still vary from base to base. Definitely clarify with your particular command.

But commanders retain the ability to add rules to the instruction, said Chief Master Sgt. Dave Martin, chief of ground safety for USAFE-AFAFRICA. USAFE-AFAFRICA officials are using that latitude to continue enforcing their 2012 supplement to the motorcycle rules, which requires motorcyclists under their command to wear “high visibility colors” during the day and “retro-reflective” gear at night

 

This is a question best answered by base regs. I don't think that any forum answers will stand up against U.C.M.J.

 

You are looking for AFI 91-207 para 3.5.4.3. You also want to see if there is a local regulation. There doesn't seem to be one on the Air Force publication website. Contact to base ground safety office as well. Gate guards don't always know the rules and often make assumptions. The cops don't make the safety rules, they only enforce them so the safety office is the place to get the real info.

 

It can change from base to base depending on the Commander. I know we don't have to wear them any more.

 

Gate guards suck. I've been going round and round with the guards here at Benning on DOT helmets. They check if a helmet is DOT by having you lift up your head to see how think it is. Every time I point them to the DOT emblem and they just shrug it off.

I don't mind them checking for DOT helmets but to inspect for a non-existing standard (the DOT standard says nothing about helmet thickness) just irritates me.

I've spoke to the provost marshall and DOD chief of police several times now and they keep saying they'll look into it but guards keep doing their own thing. I'll continue to be a thorn as long as they continue to be idiots.

 

I'm sure they've seen a few fake DOT stickers and someone somewhere told them they could tell the difference by looking at the padding thickness. For the most part, he was right.

 

When I was in the Air Force, I once received a ticket on base for sounding fast.

 

Buckley AFB, in Aurora CO, has recently done away with the vest requirement, though sometimes a guard will still mention that I "should" wear one.