McChord's Blue Bike program - another way to get around Published Oct. 2, 2015 By Christina Carmen Crea Northwest Guardian JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- A bicycle is sometimes one of the easiest, cheapest and fastest ways around certain areas for service members on Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Back in 2011, Staff Sgt. Adam Johnson, 373rd Training Squadron's Detachment 12, said service members in the 62nd Airlift Wing talked about having a program similar to college campuses where students can rent a bike, ride it to wherever they need to go and drop it off at specific locations when done. "Ever since then, it's been evolving into the McChord Blue Bike program," Johnson said. Johnson is now a McChord Blue Bike program manager. The program allows any service member to rent a McChord Blue Bike for free. "All they need to do is call up to schedule a time, show up to get a quick safety briefing, sign an agreement that they won't destroy the bike and it's all theirs until they return it," Johnson said. The bikes can be used for as little as a day or a week as long as they check in periodically. Johnson added the bikes can only be used on JBLM. Staff Sergeant David Bouchard, 373rd TS, McChord Blue Bike program manager, said it's mainly been used by service members who are taking classes for their unit or here on a temporary duty assignment. "Most of the service members who are also taking classes stay in a building a mile or two down the road and they take our bikes. So it's easy for them to get a bike to ride them to and from work, the cafeteria gym, etc.," Bouchard said. Airmen 1st Class Arianna Cooper, here on temporary duty from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., said she got her bike two weeks after she arrived at JBLM. "It's been super helpful for me because I don't have the money to go out and rent or buy a car while being temporarily here," Cooper said. "There are lots of benefits of riding the bike such as good cardio, I can easily ride to my room, the gym, work, classes and the dining facility. I'm here for another month and I will definitely be using the bike until I leave." Although the program has been ongoing since 2011, most recently Johnson said they've put a lot of work into teaming up with GO Lewis-McChord, a program facilitating convenient and money-saving commute options for the JBLM community, in order to try and expand the program. "In the future, we're hoping to make the McChord Blue Bike program available all over JBLM," Johnson said. Johnson said they have several units on board who want to partake in the program that includes 62nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 627th Force Support Squadron, I CORPS, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, and Madigan Army Medical Center. Currently, the 373rd TS is the only unit doing the McChord Blue Bike Program, but Johnson said he hopes others can get on board in a few weeks. "We want more people and units to participate because this is part of the GO Lewis-McChord JBLM initiative," Johnson said. Johnson said they were able to get funding for McChord Blue Bike through 62nd Airlift Wing donations and fundraisers and currently have 30 bikes on hand, but they hope to have around 80 in the near future. "We had a rough start but we've been working on this more and we're hoping we can get all of JBLM and other units to participate in this program," Johnson said. If there's a flat tire or other mechanical issue, they can also call or email Johnson and they will help swap out a bike or fix it. For more information or to check out of McChord Blue Bike, call 253-982-6935 or email adam.johnson.18@us.af.mil.