By YM/Pvt Kimimila-Isabella Ainley Casper Mountain (WY) I decided to join Young Marines because my dad was a Marine for 15 years before he left the Marine Corps because of an injury. In the Marines, he deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Albania and Africa. My dad was a Devil Pups Instructor while he served and firmly believes in the value of this kind of or- ganization for young people. Someday I want to join the Marine Corps. I want the op- portunity to learn as much as I can about the Marine Corps structure now, in or- der to prepare for my future. I enjoy Young Marines - they are a service-oriented organization and as my dad says, we are a public service family. The first days of recruit training I was incredibly bad at ev- erything.I thought that I would never get it,but then the instructors worked with me and we were determined to get it right, so I would not fail. I got a little better, but I did not think I was going to graduate. I practiced be- cause I was determined to get it right.If you want some- thing you have to be dedicated, so I continued working until I got it right. The spirit of the Young Marines is one of teamwork, family, a place you can belong to, like a second home. When graduation day finally came I was so proud! I earned my title, a title I worked hard for and one I am honored to share with other Young Marines everywhere. I hope you take as much pride as I do in graduating and being the best Young Marine you can be. Pride in Being a Young Marine: You Have to be Dedicated YM/Pvt Bella Ainley and YM/Pvt Cosette Koerperich explore emergency responder vehicles at the Safe Kids Day event on May 5, 2018. Casper Mountain Young Marines participated in the event with a DDR booth. What It Was Like When I Joined the Young Marines By YM/Cpl Cissy Jones Imagine School North Port (FL) When I first joined the Imagine School (FL) Young Marines, I have to admit I thought it was just putting on a uniform and taking orders. That seemed easy enough to me, but boy, was I wrong! I joined our unit in the eighth grade and had never really done anything athletic before, especially not with a group of strangers. At my first Drill, there were a couple of other girls in the formation. I only knew one of them at this time. From that moment on, we decided to stick together, no matter what. Then came Recruit Training Weekend, we were trained with Young Marines from other units.As soon as we all got there we were rushed to the athletic field to do jumping jacks and other PT exercises. It was the hardest weekend of my life, but I passed, and so did the other girls. We were now officially Young Ma- rines. Every Thursday we stay after school and practice drill, marching, and team build- ing exercises. It wasn’t long before I got to know everyone in the unit. Being in the Imagine School Young Marines for three years, I’ve learned that I enjoy working with the younger kids in the unit, which is good. I am learning and growing and do- ing a little bit of teaching on the side. I owe my success to myself, Sergeant Black and his staff.Thank you, Young Marines. By YM/Pvt Joshua Foster Upstate (NC) I joined the Young Marines program a year ago when I was eight and it has been a great experience! I have made a lot of friends and we enjoy encour- aging each other as a team. It is a big challenge at times, but I like that it pushes me to do and to be my best. This program has inspired me to be- come a Marine. My goal is to go to the Naval Academy and earn a commis- sion as a Marine officer. In the Young Marines program, I have learned a lot of very important things. I now know more about military his- tory, structure, and commands. Young Marines has also taught me to respect and honor other people, my coun- try, my God, and myself. I have also learned the importance of staying physically active and in shape, making healthy choices, and the importance of avoiding drug abuse. Overall, the Young Marines program has shown me how to set great goals in life and is teaching me to live up to them. Young Marines is the best! Semper Fidelis! My Experience With the Upstate, SC Young Marines 18 Young Marines Esprit ONLINE