An undeniable parallel exists between strapping on a helmet and lacing up a pair of combat boots. Both demand absolute discipline, hyper-situational awareness, and an inherent reliance on the person riding on your flank. When you pitch a tent at an MOA National Rally or share a fire at a local charter weekend, you aren’t just sitting next to fellow motorcycle enthusiasts. You may be sharing the pavement with men and women who have stood on the front lines of history.
The BMW MOA’s new For Those Who Served collection, a limited-edition run of hats and tees, was not created for an abstract concept of patriotism. It was created to honor the riding buddies you share every Sunday. These are the riders who traded their uniforms for armored jackets and found the familiar camaraderie of two wheels. Here is a look at just a few of the veterans who make up the backbone of our community.
Reece Mullins
Reece served 22 years as an Army pilot with four combat tours. Reece survived the 2007 Iraq surge only to return home to a loss of purpose. An Army Physician’s Assistant convinced him to buy a motorcycle. He bought a 2005 R 1200 RT, joined the MOA, and found a lifeline that pulled him back from the brink. The MOA became his calm harbor in a stormy life. He eventually served on the MOA Board of Directors and now leads his local charter club, giving back to the community that gave him a family.
Brian Adelson & Scott Hines
Brian and Scott met as young Army Lieutenants in Germany in 1990. Brian was a Military Police officer, and Scott was in Armor, but their shared Ranger qualifications forged a bond that carried them straight into Desert Storm. After the war, they tore up the German countryside on a pair of Kawasaki Ninjas before their military careers pulled them in opposite directions. Decades later, they reunited in North Carolina. Today, Brian rides a 2007 R 1200 RT and Scott pilots an R 1250 GS, proving that the best friendships, much like a good boxer engine, pick up exactly where they left off.
Chuck Wilmot
Motorcycling has been in Chuck Wilmot’s blood since he threw a leg over a 125cc Harley-Davidson Hummer at age 16. In 1964, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and served 22 years on active duty as an air traffic controller in intense environments like Chu Lai, Vietnam. Chuck recently celebrated his 80th birthday the only way that makes sense: carving up the Pacific Coast Highway on his F 750 GS alongside his son.
Don Miller
During the Vietnam War, Don Miller served as a Crew Chief on a US Air Force AC-119 Gunship. His motorcycling career spans an incredible 68 years, but he switched to BMW the hard way. In 2010, while riding his Harley-Davidson across five European countries, he watched a pack of BMW GS riders pull away from him like they were on a Sunday drive. He bought his first BMW immediately upon returning to the States. That R 1200 RT now has 160,000 miles on the clock.
Jerry Furniss
Retiring as an Army Sergeant Major after 32 years, Jerry Furniss spent the bulk of his career in the Army’s elite as a Special Forces Senior Sergeant. He deployed to Iraq multiple times during the the War on Terrorism. Today, he channels that same operational energy into endurance riding, tackling Iron Butt Association rides and Backcountry Discovery Routes with tactical precision.
Jeffrey Clark
Jeffrey Clark is a member of a highly exclusive club: he was one of 15 graduates in Class #1 of Carlos Hathcock’s legendary Marine sniper school. After serving in Force Recon and training with the SEALs, a severe injury during preparations for Mogadishu left him grounded. Once he recovered, he found his freedom on BMWs. Clark has since racked up 350,000 miles on Bavarian bikes, most recently taking his brand-new 2024 R 1300 GS on a 45,000-mile trip from Baja to Nova Scotia.
Jose Abiles
An Army Armor Officer whose career shifted from guarding against the USSR to deploying for Desert Storm, Jose’s riding days were paused for decades by the demands of service and family. When he became an empty nester, he picked up a retired R 1150 RT-P. At his first MOA rally, he struck up a conversation with a rider named Andre, only to discover Andre was a former Russian infantryman assigned to the opposite side of the Fulda Gap in East Germany during the Cold War. Former enemies, now motorcycle comrades.
Loren Easter
Loren Easter gave 27 years to the Army National Guard, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel after deployments for post-9/11 homeland security, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Inspired by Long Way Round, he bought a R 1150 GS to teach himself the ropes of adventure riding. As a well-earned retirement gift to himself, Loren picked up a 2023 R 1250 GS Triple Black, finally securing the ultimate two-wheeled therapy he sought after a lifetime of service.
Michael Richard MacDonald
Enlisted in the US Coast Guard right out of high school in 1974 and spent 22 years in the service, retiring as a Chief Petty Officer. He bought his very first BMW, a red R 65 LS, while stationed in Hawaii in 1982. After a lifetime of riding from New England to the Mid-Atlantic, he now explores South Carolina’s scenic roads on a 2000 R 1100 RT.
Mike Bobbitt
For Air Force veteran Mike Bobbitt, motorcycles were an essential escape during his 30-year career. Putting on a helmet was the only way to shed the weight of rank, deployments, and military deadlines. When he retired in 2015, the loss of identity hit hard. He found a new purpose volunteering for the Motorcycle Relief Project and eventually became its president. Today, he rides his GS to help other veterans heal through the exact same two-wheeled therapy that saved him.
Mike Cloke
Mike’s military story began in 1973 when a judge gave him a classic ultimatum: jail or the Army. Two weeks later, he was training in the California sand. He became a Military Police officer assigned to the 1st Armor Division in West Germany. Today, the MOA is his family. You can find him touring the country on his favorite motorcycle, an F 900 GS, riding alongside his wife, Janet, on her F 750 GS.
Mike Shaffer
At 80 years young, Mike Shaffer is still logging miles out of Marana, Arizona. He served three years in the US Army during the height of the Vietnam War, spending two of those years operating as a helicopter crew chief with the legendary 1st Cavalry Division.
Nick Stokes
Nick spent 28 years in the US Air Force, finishing his career as an AWACS airborne computer technician stationed across the globe. After retiring, his mechanical background drew him to the simplicity and character of classic airheads. He picked up a 1991 R 100 RT and never looked back. Nick now serves as the Air Marshal for the Virginia Airheads Beemer Club, finding that the military and the MOA share the same indispensable camaraderie.
When you pick up gear from the MOA’s For Those Who Served collection, you aren’t just donating to another initiative. You are wearing it for Reece, for Chuck, for the Mikes, and for the other veterans who make up the soul of this organization. It is a quiet nod to the riders who gave everything for their country, and a proud way to represent the best of our membership.
Grab your limited-edition hat or T-shirt from the MOA store today, and wear it on your next ride for the men and women who paved the way.