Q: I have a motorcycle endorsed stateside license and a certificate for the basic motorcycle safety course. When I inquired about getting the motorcycle endorsement on my base Japanese license at the base licensing office, I was told I need the advanced riders course. That isn’t a problem as I will take the advanced riders course the next time it is offered with a friend’s motorcycle. However, at the base safety office I was told that I can’t take the class unless I own the motorcycle I will use for the class. I asked to see the instruction having already read COMFLEACT INSTRUCTION 5800.2F AND 5800.9K and the safety office representative could not find that clause in any instruction. Furthermore, the instructions state a person needs to be licensed to own a motorcycle. This is a Catch-22. Finally, the person at the safety told me that it was just the Safety Office Policy. I believe that the Safety Office are obstructionist in regards to motorcycle operation and ownership. In my opinion, verbal policies are misleading and subject to personal interpretation.

A: As per COMFLEACTINST 5800.2F, a motorcycle, which moves by a motor or an engine, is considered a vehicle. Due to the limited parking in Yokosuka, Ikego and Negishi it is not possible to authorize motorcycles to not be included. There have been more than 300 vehicles that had to be junked within the past two years, at the cost of the U.S. Navy due to abandonment. Additionally, since there is such limited parking on base it would add to the situation we are currently in if we were to authorize people to register three and four vehicles per household.