Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54• From our National Young Marine of the Year YOUNG MARINES ESPRIT ONLINE 3 Jimmy Trimble Scholarship Recipients Named Young Marines SSgt Cassandra Roaché, 17, of Troy, Ohio, and Young Marines MSgt Dev R. Patel, 17, of Fredericksburg, Vir- ginia, were selected to receive Jimmy Trimble Scholarships from the American Veterans Center. The honors were be- stowed at a banquet on Saturday,November 5,at the Ameri- can Veterans Center in Washington D.C. The award is presented annually to one male and one female Young Marine who exemplify the fine qualities of James “Jimmy” Trimble III. Trimble was a star athlete who passed up the opportunity to play professional baseball to first serve his country in the Marines. At age 19, he died on March 1, 1945, at Iwo Jima. “Jimmy Trimble epitomized the fighting spirit of that gen- eration of Americans,”said Bill Davis,National Executive Di- rector and CEO of the Young Marines. “He gave up a life of professional baseball because he was called upon to serve his country. We are grateful to the American Veterans Cen- ter for keeping his spirit alive and for allowing the Young Marines to play a key role in that effort.” A resident of Troy, Ohio, YM/SSgt Cassandra Roaché is a member of the Miami Valley Young Marines unit located in Huber Heights, Ohio; unit commander is Keagan Miller. YM MSgt Dev R. Patel belongs to the LCpl Caleb Powers Young Marines unit based in Fredericksburg,Virginia, under the command of Stan Kennedy. Happy New Year everyone, 2016 was a very success- ful year for this program. During my recent trip to Hawaii for the Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day I had a chance to meet many new Young Marines and many other units all of which were very excited and moti- vated to be there. This year we had some 300 Young Marines in Hawaii which is the largest number we’ve ever assembled. It was a great time for myself and all the Young Marines. I really encourage any unit who can fundraise to get there to do so, because it’s a great experience for everyone involved. Also, make sure you watch the latest Young Marines News Network (YMNN) on youngmarines.com as it shows what Young Marines are doing throughout the country and Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. As we look back on how the program has changed this year the biggest and most influen- tial change comes from the leadership academies. Oregon is a great location and has allowed for the addition of a multiple square kilometer map and compass course which is the best one I have ever done. I loved walking through the for- est, brush, and grass to find multiple points that were carefully plotted by the group that I worked with. The new classes are top of the line and you will become a better leader. Everything you learn at the National Academy is a life skill you will use forever, while you make life long bonds with other Young Marines. The academies also tie in with the new Young Marine of the Year policy which you heard me talk about on YMNN. The new policy gives everyone that is qualified a chance to compete for the Young Marine of the Year. Make sure you read the new policy so that you can take the next step on your way to being recognized as one of the top Young Marines in our program. As we look forward to this new year, make sure you set goals for yourself and ask yourself where you want to go in the Young Marines program. Set goals on what rank you want to achieve before the year ends. Then, create a plan step by step on how you are going to get there. Also, make sure you take full advantage of the SPACES events that are available to you this year. I wish I had gone on more of the summer adventures than I did. SPACES events are once in a lifetime and they are fully available to you. These opportunities are experiences the people around you may never have. Take full advantage of this New Year and push your- self to your limits so you can achieve greatness. Stay Motivated, YM/SgtMaj Joseph J. Bacon 2016 National Young Marine of the Year