32 YOUNG MARINES ESPRIT Online At This SPACES Event, We Learned to Prepare for the Worst By YM/LCpl Hannah Miller Capital City (NC) I’m a Young Marines Lance Corporal, and this was my first time going on a SPACES trip (and also my first time on an airplane), so I was very nervous and asked a lot of questions. One question I asked to the Young Marine I flew with was,“Does the plane go faster than a car (because I see them go slow when I’m on the ground)?” He just laughed at me, but he had to remember it was my first time on an airplane! Anyway SPACES was amazing. I met so many great friends and had amazing food! My SPACES trip was to FEMA CERT in California. They teach you what you should do in dif- ferent disaster situations. We were also taught what to do if someone was chok- ing, and how to perform CPR. We were picked up at the airport were driven to the camp. The camp was led by the Sheriff’s Department, who named it Courage Camp. My first day there was okay, only because I didn’t know anyone there except the new friends I had made and one person from my unit. Later on that day, I made more friends and started to be comfortable around the camp. Later on, we ate dinner and it was really good (but spicy). I don’t re- member what it was, but I just know it was good! Later at night, we all gathered together for a short class,this class we were given a trash bag and directed to write down what we would do if we were out any- where lost and alone with only a trash- bag and how would you use it. Then all the females did firewatch and two other girls and I were walking and then all the sudden we saw eyes. We looked closer and saw a raccoon. We ran because it almost attacked us and our hearts were racing fast! Our second day at camp,we had at least 6 classes in a row but I made it through,a lot of those classes that day were about reading and taking notes about different disasters, and how to work with a part- ner. After lunch, we were surprised with some water games. It was so fun and it felt really good! After that, we had more classes, then we had dinner. When ev- eryone was done eating, we did karaoke. Each squad was a team, so we had four judges. One judge overheard me and a few girls sing the Cup Song, so when it was time for our group she picked the Cup Song for us, and I nailed it along with the rest of my 1st squad. I was the main singer (everyone else danced) and we got a yes from all four judges. After- wards, all of us came together and sang “When I See You Again” and that was the best part because I got to meet more friends! We had popsicles after karaoke, then it was bed time. The third day was basically the same thing as the second day (but no kara- oke this time), but we did do some rock climbing and archery,and that was great. We also learned CPR and what to do if someone is choking.Then the fourth day we went to the Ronald Reagan Presiden- tial Library and Museum and saw the Ti- tanic and Ronald Reagan exhibits. After that we went to Malibu Beach, which was awesome.Then we were on our way home and we went through Hollywood. That was so pretty to look at! Then we went to eat dinner at In and Out Burgers. It was pretty good. My fifth day (a Friday), we we took our test for FEMA CERT 2017 and graduated. Afterwards, we all hung out with each other and some of us took naps, so later on we had a huge dinner.After it got dark we all watched “Forrest Gump”. Then we slept for one last night at Courage Camp. On our sixth day we went home, and my first stop was in Phoenix, AZ and Young Marines from my unit and I met up with one of my good friends from my unit (she came from SPACES in Ari- zona.) It was a surprise we didnt know we would meet up, so then we all flew together and we took a selfie with the flight attendant because he made us laugh so much on that plane and he was motivated! Then finally we got home and I slept so good after that! So, my first SPACES trip was amazing I recommend Young Marines go to FEMA CERT. I also want to give a big shout out to the people who got me going on this trip and helped me get there! Thank you so much. An Event Full of Activties, and Opportunities for Learning By YM/Cpl Olivia Kelliher Old Colony (FL) With the help of the Young Marines Alumni Associa- tion SPACES Scholarship, I was able to attend the 2017 FEMA CERT Camp. This was an amazing experience, defi- nitely something I will never forget. On July 31st at 2am, I left Logan airport in Boston, MA on my first flight ever to Los Angeles. There, the LA Sheriffs’ Department was wait- ing to bring us to our destination. After our arrival at Camp Courage, we broke up into platoons and explored the beau- tiful landscape. Over the course of the next few days, we learned about disas- ter preparation, CPR, First Aid, Terrorist Attacks, as well as the different jobs in the CERT community. We listened to classroom lectures and participated in many hands-on experiences. We were taught how to perform CPR (using dum- mies) and learned how to properly use an Automated External Defibrilator (or AED). As part of our certification test at the end of the week, we simulated an earthquake disaster and in or- der to learn what steps would be needed to help as many people as possible. I found that the simula- tion was stressful and rushed, but at the same time a lot of fun. In order to complete my tasks, I learned a lot more about the im- portance of communication and teamwork. The week was packed with valuable learning opportunities, but also many fun activities. In order to cool off in the California heat we competed in numer- ous water games, some which included a water balloon toss or bucket relays. (Continued) (SPACES) FEMA CERT Camp