Meet the first female secret service motorcycle officer

IT'S ONE OF THE MOST ELITE DIVISIONS OF THE SECRET SERVICE: THE MOTORCADE SUPPORT UNIT.

WITH JUST 14 MOTORCYCLE OFFICERS, THE TEAM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CLEARING THE WAY FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL MOTORCADES AND DIGNITARIES.

IN ITS NEARLY 20-YEAR HISTORY THAT TEAM HAS BEEN ALL MALE, BUT THE UNIT JUST ADDED ITS FIRST FEMALE MEMBER.

C-N-N'S JESSICA SCHNEIDER REPORTS.

--REPORTER PKG-AS FOLLOWS--

nats motorcycle

Lauren Gunawan: "It's the freedom. The freedom of riding."

LAUREN GUNAWAN HAS HAD AN OBSESSION WITH MOTORCYCLES SINCE AGE 18.

Lauren Gunawan: "My parents were definitely not too excited that I got a motorcycle. My dad especially. I'm daddy's little girl."

GUNAWAN GREW UP IN NEPONSET ILLINOIS... POPULATION 400.

IT MAY HAVE BEEN A SMALL TOWN... BUT HER UPBRINGING SPARKED SOME BIG DREAMS.

Lauren Gunawan: "It always made me want to be a police officer."

GUNAWAN'S GRANDFATHER WAS AN AUXILIARY POLICE CHIEF.

THREE YEARS AGO, SHE SET HER SIGHTS EVEN HIGHER... AND MADE THE MOVE TO DC TO JOIN THE SECRET SERVICE.

(NAT HIT)

BUT THE ROAR OF THE ENGINES FROM THE MOTORCYCLE SUPPORT UNIT KEPT CALLING HER NAME.

Lauren Gunawan: "Motors popped up and I said, that's what I want to do, and I set my heart to it."

Standup: "Landing a spot in this elite unit is no easy task. In fact it's just about a 40-percent pass rate. The biggest hurdle is actually being able to lift one of these 11-hundred pound motorcycles."

Gunawan: "Yeah, it's a lot of bike - 1100 pounds worth."

"So you have to be able to lift this up from the ground?"

"Yes ma'am."

"All 1,100 pounds?"

"Yes ma'am."

"That's a tough feat. Could you do it the first time you tried?"

"Yes ma'am. I could."

"You could?"

"I put all the hard work and dedication into it."

OFFICER TECHNICIAN GUNAWAN MAKES IT LOOK EASY... BUT SHE'S THE *FIRST WOMAN* TO EVER JOIN THE ELITE MOTORCADE SUPPORT UNIT.

IT'S THE DIVISION THAT CLEARS THE WAY FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL MOTORCADES... MANEUVERING THROUGH WASHINGTON GRIDLOCK... PLOTTING A PATH FOR THE PRESIDENT AND V-P.

THE TRAINING... AND ULTIMATE TEST... TO BECOME PART OF THIS JUST-14-MEMBER TEAM AREN'T EASY.

GUNAWAN EMBARKED ON A TWO-WEEK COURSE, RIDING HER HARLEY 8 HOURS A DAY... WEAVING IN AND OUT OF TIGHT SPACES.

THE FIRST TIME SHE TRIED... SHE FAILED.

Gunawan: "When I got my opportunity the first time. I was able to pick up that bike no problem. I just didn't get through the course the first time. So I was thankful that they were able to give me a second opportunity."

Officer Technician Brian Popiel: "She was definitely determined to become a technician on this unit and to get mounted. Every day she gave 120-percent."

OFFICER TECHNICIAN POPIEL TRAINED GUNAWAN... AND SAID HER ATTITUDE MADE THE DIFFERENCE.

Popiel: "There's no reason that a woman shouldn't be on this unit. She brings a lot to the table. Her attitude is by far probably one of the best that I've seen."

AT JUST 30 YEARS OLD, LAUREN GUNAWAN HAS MADE HER MARK....

Gunawan: "It was extraordinary. I feel like I got to break that glass ceiling."

AND SET THE BAR FOR FUTURE FEMALES.

Gunawan: "I don't want anybody to think that they can't get something and it looks unreachable. If you put hard work and dedication into it, you'll get it and you'll achieve your goals."

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN, WASHINGTON.

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--KEYWORD TAGS--

SECRET SERVICE MOTORCADE SUPPORT UNIT ALTA "LAUREN" GUNAWAN

[kidgypsie]

Lauren Gunawan CONGRATULATIONS to you.
Very proud of you for living your dream! Again congrats & keep up the great job.

[tinashegrace]

The first Female ever in the World to ride Presidential motorcade was Alice Muchena BACK IN 1996 and she was a Zimbabwean

And it was broadcasted On @CNN and Zbc

[felicamcvicker]

I’m so proud of you Lauren!!!! You’ve come such a long way in your life! Love you girl!

[DamnitDave]

#respect
this should encourage more female riders... professionally and recreationally.

[lilytobyz]

Wow... Indonesian girl is in the house! Proud of you! 👍👍👍

[reogh]

Kudos to Indonesian American everywhere!:-)

[katiafoust]

Why did this take so long to show up on my feed? Awesomeness, Congratulations!!

[尾崎主幸]

I don't know secret service has motorcycle unit.
That's interesting.

[slackdaddy]

Gd Bless! I ride a smaller scoot because of the difficulty of an 1100 lb bike. Congratulations!

[SigmaSheepdog]

Very cool! The US Secret Service Uniformed Division apparently has come a long way in certain aspects. When I was with the USSS/UD back in the 1980's we had motorcycles but we didn't have a motorcade unit. If I remember correctly, it was DC Metropolitan Police and US Park Police that handled motorcades. I was a motor officer during that time and we used Honda CM200's as patrol bikes at the Foreign Missions Branch. There were three certified female motor officers that I remember during that time.

[onepiece-ugft]

Lauren GUNAWAN, police officer from Indonesia ?
Wow, Wanita yang hebat

[yes-icqp]

Secret service motorcycle division?

Interesting

[AbsoluteZero]

1100 pounds? That’s the weight of a 130 gallon tank filled with seawater.

[IncredulousIndividual]

Why is this something to be celebrated

[agungnugroho]

Oalaaah mbake iki mesti bapake wong Indonesia! All the best mbak e!! 💪🤩

[ivansugiono]

Siapa yg kesini karena line today ??😂😂😂

[jaysonwarsuma]

Lauren is beautiful Nice Motorcycle Boots

[TheSands]

We saw how well the women secret service worked out yesterday.. panicked n incompetent

[raynanw]

it's goo-nuh-one, not gun-o-one. her father is Indonesian

[josephwilnoirbarthelemy]

NOW I WAIT FOR UNITED NATIONS AND UNITED STATES AT THE AIRPORT SANTIAGO DE CHILE PLEASE HELP ME I WANT TO GO WORKING UNITED NATIONS UNTED STATES DETECTIVE INVESTIGACIÓN SECRET SERVICE POLICE INTERNATIONAL