Young Marines: the Few, the Proud:

[thedrifter]

Young Marines: the Few, the Proud: Youths enlist for character-building
By MANNY GAMALLO World Staff Writer
1/21/2007

BROKEN ARROW -- Serious looks were chiseled into their young faces as they followed the commands of their boot-camp instructor.

"About face, left face, right face," the instructor boomed at them.

A few who missed the commands quickly corrected themselves, and then gave an embarrassed glance sideways to see whether anyone noticed their misstep.

Far from young men and women training for the military, these raw "recruits" were all part of the Young Marines, a national program for youths ages 8 through high school.

Though new to the Tulsa area, the Young Marines program has been around since 1958, and today boasts more than 10,000 youths across the country.

The mission of the Young Marines program is to promote mental, moral and physical development of its members.

The program focuses on character-building and leadership, and promotes a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.

The Broken Arrow unit has been operating since Oct. 23 and meets for two hours every Tuesday night at the Armed Forces Reserve Center for drills, exercises and classroom instruction.

The unit is called the Thomas A. Blair Detachment, named in honor of Marine Lance Cpl. Thomas A. Blair, 24, of Broken Arrow, the first Oklahoman to die in the Iraq war.

He was killed on March 23, 2003, during fighting at Nasiriyah.

Retired Marine Lt. Col. Terry Funk, commander of the detachment, said the program is slowly gaining in popularity as word about it spreads.

"The feedback we've been getting has been extremely positive," he said, noting that many parents told him their children can't wait for the next Tuesday to roll around.

While he was being interviewed, 8-year-old Gracie Barngrover of Kellyville came and sat on Funk's lap.

When asked if she was enjoying herself in the class, the shy little girl nodded her head in delight.

Funk said Gracie at first accompanied her brothers, Justin, 9, and Garrett, 11, to the Tuesday night classes.

When he saw her on the sidelines mimicking the drilling her brothers were undergoing, Funk asked her if she would like to enroll.

She jumped at the chance.

Gelaine Barngrover said her daughter and sons really enjoy the classes, especially since more and more children are joining.

On a recent Tuesday night, 17 boys and girls stood under the watchful eye of their drill instructor and followed his commands as many of their families watched.

Lucille Taylor of Kiefer was there watching her grandsons, Joshua Cain, 8, of Sapulpa, and Tyler Haysler, 13, of Claremore, go through the moves.

Like all the families, Taylor said her grandchildren love the classes.

Taylor's husband, retired Marine Sgt. Tony Taylor, is one of about 15 volunteers working with the young recruits.

Cyndi Cain of Sapulpa said her son, Joshua, fully enjoys the program and even does some of the exercises at home.

"It seems to help his attitude," she said. "I've noticed a lot of improvement in him, mostly in discipline."

Many of the children enrolled in the program see it as preparing them for military careers.

Scott Garrison, 14, of Jenks said he eventually wants to enlist with the Marines, and the same goes for Tyler Haysler of Claremore.

Joseph Gibson, 14, of Kellyville wants to join the Air Force, "and this gets me ready for that."

Kelli McCall, 15, of Tulsa said she was encouraged to join the program by her father, who was in the Marines.

"This program teaches me discipline," she said, pointing out that she plans someday to be an archaeologist.

Funk said he expects the youths will graduate from the boot camp on March 10.

After that, however, the program continues once a week for these students all through high school.

"We have a lot of these youngsters who will be here into high school," Funk said.

The classes will continue with more drilling and instruction, and possibly some field trips to military installations so the students can gain firsthand knowledge.

Funk credited the local Marine Corps League, in particular one of its members, Leo Hall, with getting the Young Marines unit established in the Tulsa area.

Funk said the program needs more involvement, though, especially donations.

He said the children need uniforms, badges, ribbons, along with the necessary funding for some of the planned field trips.

Funk said the American Legion in Sapulpa has been donating $100 monthly to the program, but more money is needed.

Anyone interested in assisting, sponsoring or being part of the program should call Funk at 585-8522.

The Thomas A. Blair Detachment of the Young Marines meets every Tuesday from 5:45 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The Armed Forces Reserve Center is located on Sixth Street, north of Kenosha Street, west of Lynn Lane.

Manny Gamallo 581-8386
manny.gamallo@tulsaworld.com

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Aiming to Build Young Leaders

By Jesse Muñoz
Signal Staff Writer
Sunday January 21, 2007

The first day of boot camp started bright and early on Saturday for the inaugural 11 man platoon of the Santa Clarita Valley Young Marines.

Shortly after arriving at the Castaic Sports Complex and reporting to formation by 8 a.m., the group of recruits - ranging in age from 10 to 14 and dressed in all-black sweat pants and sweat shirts - was given a stern introductory briefing from their commanding officer as to what the next eight Saturday mornings would contain.

Then the shouting began.

"If we're loud, there's a reason we're loud," said Scott Derderian, commanding officer of the SCV unit of the national Young Marines program, about the shouting of orders he called "firm direction."

"Everyone hears us and that's what we want. So if I'm addressing one recruit all of the 10 others will hear me too."

Open to children age 8 through the completion of high school, the Young Marines is a youth education and service program that promotes the mental, moral, and physical development of its members while focusing on the building of personal character, leadership ability and a healthy drug-free lifestyle.

"It's a mentoring program. We don't teach military tactics. I don't bring a recruiter in here when they turn 18 and say 'hey come join the Corps,'" said Deriderian about the program that was founded by the Marine Corps League - an association of retired Marines - as the focal point for the U.S. Marine Corps' youth drug-demand reduction efforts.

"We make them leaders, because I expect leadership out of them. If they don't meet that expectation my staff will teach them to be a leader," Deriderian said. "It's not for everybody. We make it hard for a reason, and obviously there are going to be parents who don't want their kids here."

As the 11 members of SCV Young Marines platoon No. 0701 battled against an early morning chill and fought to control their nerves in anticipation of what might come next, a number of first day orientation drills were conducted including directions on how to properly stand at attention, address and salute a superior officer, and march to a cadence. In between such drills the recruits could be seen running and performing push-ups.

"Today is the intensity day, just getting up in their face and getting them pumped and ready to go," said Deriderian, who served in both the USMC and U.S. Army National Guard. "We're considered the hardest volunteer youth program there is. We expect a lot out of our kids but it's because they can do it. Plain and simple.

"Right now you look at them and they're crying, they're cold, and they're scared. But if you come back in two days you'll see a different recruit standing here, and if you come back on graduation day you won't even recognize them," Deriderian said.

Meeting every Saturday morning for eight consecutive weeks, the Young Marines program comes at a cost of $350 per recruit, which covers all clothing, uniforms, equipment and training material costs. During the eight-week program participants will receive classroom instruction in military history, terminology and rank structures, while also undergoing intense physical fitness training in preparation for the written, oral and physical fitness tests that recruits must pass to graduate from boot camp and officially earn the title of young Marine.

"We're going to make them sweat and we're going to make them hurt. All eight days we're going to push them as hard as we can and they're not going to want to do that," Deriderian said. "But in the end they earn something. They start having a different pride level, they start wanting to be more for themselves, because they want to excel through the program."

Ellie

[sgt tony]

Yes this is a great program I am Sgt Taylor that is mentioned in the first post. All of the kids are going and doing the same thing no matter there age or male/female. They are working on map reading, termenology, and many others.
We also require that they work hard here, home, and school. They have to keep there grades up and so this is like the JROTC in high schools but we start a lot younger and so by doing this they have the ability to make sound and good judgement on there on. We also give classes on drugs prevention, life saveing skills and many hours of drill.
They are graded on how they do in all of this and they are give promotions by oral/written test. We get feed back from the familys on how the kids are doing at home and school.:iwo:

Semper Fi
Tony Taylor :evilgrin:
sgtrockmarine@yahoo.com

[jinelson]

I couldnt agree more with you brother. I have come down hard on some of our wannnabe members for using their Young Marine rank avatars here in the past. Since I have become much more familiar with the program and what those pups have to do to earn those promotions I have taken a more lienient approach in dealing with them. They are and should be rightfully proud of their achievments in the YM. It is an outstanding organization and I appluad your efforts with them.

Semper Fi

Jm

[Allen870922]

I saw them when I was on PI with Echo. They stayed in Fox Co's empty squad bays. They drilled a little out infront of the barracks. They weren't too bad. My platoon wasn't too happy when our DI let them go ahead of us for chow.

[YMPfcDeremer]

I saw them when I was on PI with Echo. They stayed in Fox Co's empty squad bays. They drilled a little out infront of the barracks. They weren't too bad. My platoon wasn't too happy when our DI let them go ahead of us for chow.

When were you at P.I.? I was there this summer with the Young Marines.