By YM/GySgt Jude Smith Division 3 Public Affairs Correspondent Capital City (NC) Near the end of the amazing summer of 2017, I attended the FEMA CERT Camp in San Bernadino,CA.The things we were able to learn were incredibly interesting. The local sheriff’s department helped out with this course. We began with re- ceiving all of our materials at the start of a very interesting week. We first learned about what CERT was all about (CERT is the acronym for Com- munity Emergency Response Team). We were shown how we can help out our communities in times of disaster. The first couple of days, we learned about basic first aid, and how to determine if it’s safe to enter a building that may be structurally weakened after a disaster. We also did hands-on activities, such as the “Contact and Cover” movements, a technique which allows two people to put out a fire. Another fun hands-on activity that we did was a simulated disaster scenario. We were assigned different jobs to ful- fill,such as the mayor and financial team. The goal was to figure out how we can rescue people with the resources that we had and received. We also had some very exciting guests come to FEMA CERT Camp this year! One of our guests was Mr. Joe Venable, who is the Young Marines’ East Coast Deputy Director. Another guest was Mr. Scott Levy, a re- tired Marine who is known for his voice acting in military video games as well as Linkin Park’s “Castle of Glass” music video. The other guest that arrived was Ms. Lesli Kay, who was known for her acting in the Emmy-award winning show, “As the World Turns”. Everyone got a picture with Mr. Levy and everyone got to meet Mr. Venable and Ms. Kay. My favorite part of the trip was explor- ing the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA. The library was so fascinat. ing, with artifacts from his personal life, along with his time in office. An exhibit about the Titanic was dis- played, which included a diorama of what the sea floor looks like now, which included dishes, shoes, glasses, and watches. After that amazing experience, we went to the beach and everyone had a great time swimming and building a sand fort. I really enjoyed this trip. The spirit and the motivation among the Young Ma- rines and the adult staff was just incred- ible. The experience was far beyond my expectations and I encourage everyone to attend this event, especially if you want to be a firefighter or a police officer in the future. Community Emergency Response Team Camp: How to Prepare for Disasters By YM/GySgt Talla Aasved, Division 3 Public Affairs Correspondent Milton Lewis (FL) The 3rd Division Junior Leadership School hosted by the First Florida Regiment was last August at Camp Geneva, FL. This School was an outstanding experience for all the Young Marines in attendance. The Young Marines did not have it easy. They would wake up early for physical training, had classes throughout the day, practiced drill, made new friends, and most of all, they got out of their comfort zones. Although this was a challenging experience, all the Young Marines pushed through and overcame the challenges put in front of them. This school was full of outstanding Young Marines and they really set the bar for the next class of Junior Leaders. I really en- joyed watching these Young Marines push themselves and grow as leaders. These were truly great Young Marines and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for them. Top Left: YM/LCpl Faris doing the V-sit while YM/SSgt Cook records her score and her Young Marines hold her legs. Bottom Far Left: YM/LCpl Wilson Left: Young Marines are saluting the flag as it is raised at morning colors. Division 3 Junior Leadership School: Getting Outside Their Comfort Zones We were shown how we can help out our communities in times of disaster YOUNG MARINES ESPRIT ONLINE 33