The Young Marines are a Drug Demand Reduction and leadership program supported by the United States Marine Corps. The Young Marines are sponsored by the Marine Corps League. Overall the Young Marine program teaches you leadership, responsibility, knowledge, respect, patience and how to live a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.
The Young Marines were founded in 1959 in Waterbury Connecticut. Now Young Marine units are found all over the United States and Internationally.
Some of the activities we do include camping, field training, parades, first aid, CPR, map, navigation, shelter building, survival, drug resistance training and a lot more.
The rank structure of the Young Marines is based on the rank structure of the United States Marine Corps. A young marines starts out as a Young Marine Recruit and on completion of basic training becomes a Young Marine Private. You can move through the ranks with the highest rank being Young Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant. There are also billited ranks of Young Marine First Sergeant and Young Marine Sergeant Major.
I just completed basic training and am now a Young Marine Private working towards my first advancement of Young Marine Private First Class. A Young Marine who earns the rank of Young Marine Sergeant will be promoted a pay grade upon graduation from United States Marine Corps boot camp.
In the Young Marines we can also earn awards, ribbons and medals for personal, achievement, service and qualification awards for things like personal achievement, courage, hunter safety, swimming, first aid, CPR, PT Score, sportsmanship, navigation, boating and a whole lot more.
On Veterans Day weekend our unit Emerald Empire Young Marines marched in the Albany, Oregon Veterans Day Parade and the Springfield, Oregon Veterans Day Parade. The parades were a lot of fun while marching, The kids and adults were really nice.
I have learned that you want to respect others and say sir, ma’am, miss or you will be doing a lot of pushups.
You get real good with shoe polish and how to shine your boots until you see the reflection of your face.
To learn more about the Young Marines visit YoungMarines.com
Article originally posted by Young Marine Private Seth Weinheimer at KidsSpeackForAmerica.com
