“I grew up in a small town of 400 people, so I would take my motorcycle everywhere because I wanted to see everything,” Gunawan said. “My favorite ride was to Iowa, I would ride up and down the Mississippi river valley every chance I had.”
Gunawan no longer rides the streets of Iowa, she navigates all over the world in her Secret Service issued Harley Davison FLHTP Electra Glide as a new member of the Secret Service Motorcycle Support Unit.
Last month, Gunawan became the first female to successfully complete the rigorous training to become a member of the elite Secret Service team of riders known as the Motorcycle Support Unit (MSU). When asked about the personal significance of this accomplishment she said,
“I hope that I’ve inspired others, both women and men, to go after what they want and not to give up until they get it,” said Gunawan.
Uniformed Division Chief Thomas Sullivan recognizes Gunawan’s determination to be in the MSU and says she is perfectly suited for the position.
“Alta is a great example of a Uniformed Division Officer,” Sullivan said. “She is dedicated, hardworking and forward-thinking.”
Completing the Motorcycle Support Unit course is no easy task, the two-week long course only graduates approximately 50% of its students. This is no surprise as the purpose of the demanding course is to train Uniformed Division Officers on not only familiarity with the motorcycle, which weighs in at more than 900 pounds, but also on motorcycle tactics.
“I have so much more knowledge now about my motorcycle than I thought possible,” Gunawan said. “It’s all so necessary to the mission of the motorcade support unit.”
Gunawan knows something about perseverance. She previously attempted the course and unfortunately was unsuccessful, but she was not discouraged.
Now that Gunawan has made it into the MSU, she is excited for this new chapter in her Secret Service career and the Secret Service Uniformed Division is as well.
-- United States Secret Service