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 46MY YM UNIT Guadalupe Valley Young Marines also participated in the annual 4th of July parade in Seguin, TX, known as the “Biggest Small Town Parade”. This year we had the privilege to ride in an old Vietnam era military truck, instead of marching in the heat of the Texas sun. The Green Iron Gang group (who maintain these vehicles) enjoys participating in pa- rades throughout the area, but especially enjoyed spending time with our unit. We are looking forward to other joint events where people can see and learn about the military and history. --Submitted by Dina Dillion, Unit Commander, Guadalupe Valley (TX) Young Marines It’s Sunny, but We Love a Parade! By YM/GySgt Luke Smith North San Diego (CA) I recently attended the FEMA CERT Training Course. The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Dept. and their Explorers were our in- structors. We had many classes on First Aid, CPR, and Disaster Preparedness. We had discussions on our role and respon- sibilities as a community in a disaster and how it impacts our infrastructure and daily life. I was introduced to situa- tions that I never considered before. The practical portions were beneficial. We used the practice dummies for CPR and AED, bandaged each other, and went through the decontamina- tion process with dry chemicals and hazmat suits. We were able to tour the jail and Sheriff’s facilities. They also had many fun adventures planned. We climbed the rock wall, went zip lining, and even attended a Angels vs. A’s professional baseball game! Young Marines National Executive Director Bill Davis and actor Scott Levy showed up and joined us in the karaoke. Aside from the excellent training, I think what had the big- gest effect on me were the instructors themselves. With so much media negativity surrounding our law enforce- ment officers it was great to see the other side. They were all volunteers who gave up their personal time to mentor us. They were welcoming and it was evident that they really are involved and care about their communi- ty and the peo- ple in it. They had one on one conversations and personal life experiences to share. There was a lot of laughing, too. Most of them prepared the food and it was the best of any camp or school! Although I always respected the profession I really appreciate the LASD fam- ily and I was honored to be instructed with the other Young Marines. FEMA CERT Training: Learning to Prepare for the Unexpected By YM/Cpl Levi Stewart Miami Valley (Ohio) I’ve been in the Young Marines for over two years. In those two years, I’ve learned skills I would not have learned anywhere else. I’ve become more of a leader by far, and it helped a lot when I joined the Air Force Junior ROTC program at my school. It allowed me to take a leadership role right away. I was able to help everyone because I knew what I was doing. When anyone needs help, they come to me. The Young Marines taught me how to do drill and perform color guard. I took those skills and brought them to my JROTC unit. Shortly after joining, I was put in charge of the col- or guard, and I trained a large portion of the Senior and Junior classes. I was taught to teach and lead in the Young Marines, which I quickly put to work. As the Color Guard Commander, I was able to use the confi- dence that the Young Marines had instilled in me. Air Force JROTC has helped me in the Young Marines as well. It gives me even more practice which allowed me to sharpen my leadership skills. It allowed me to deal with more people, which really helps as it allows me to deal with certain special situations that could occur with Young Marines of varying backgrounds and ages. Overall, I love being in both the Young Marines and Air Force JROTC, as the two blend nicely and make me better in both organizations. I’m a Young Marine and Also an Air Force JROTC Cadet 6 YOUNG MARINES ESPRIT ONLINE