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 54UNIT MYYM A Color Guard for National Night Out 4 YOUNG MARINES ESPRIT ONLINE By YM/MSgt Martin Ragas Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office (LA) Every year the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office participates in National Night Out Against Crime. JPSO host a kick-off party the Sunday before the event which was held on the following Tuesday.The Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office Young Marines Unit has the honor of presenting the United States Colors to open the annual event. This year was no exception. In the attached photo you see YM/MSGT Martin Ragas (Rifle), YM/LCPL Mi- chael Francis (US Colors), YM/GYSGT Brandon Mathews (LA State Flag), YM/ SSGT Ryan Mathews (JPSO Flag), YM/MGYSGT Josue Monterroso (Rifle). Our unit looks forward to doing our part for this worthy and important event. By YM/LCpl Maria Rodriguez Naples (FL) This year, my Young Marines unit has done many interesting and enjoyable things that have tested our intelligence and stamina and helped us earn ribbons and ascend in rank. One of the most memo- rable ones was the gun safety event at the Alamo firearm range in our hometown of Naples, FL. We had a class concerning the basic rules of gun safety, which are: -ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction -ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use -ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot. We learned many more things. Among them, was how to safely handle firearms in different scenarios. In the class- room, there were some unloaded hand and shotguns on dis- play, and we were able to handle them. But what I think that was the coolest thing of the day (my fellow Young Marines will probably agree) was that we got to shoot actual hand- guns (22’s to be exact) at the range. Except for the slight “kick” from firing the gun, the shooting itself was reason- ably easy and fun. As we left, I felt extremely grateful for our Young Marines unit commanders (and of course, the Alamo instructors) for giving us this opportunity to learn these ba- sic rules that might one day protect a life. Semper Fidelis! Naples: We Enjoyed the Opportunity to Learn Firearms Safety By YM/Cpl Justin Cook Brian R. Buesing Young Marines (FL) This summer camp was the most fun I’ve had in years,and I was able to earn a number of ribbons. The drive was six hours long.That was not too fun, but once we got there, we took our bags to our cabins, and the fun began. After we had all of our things put away, we were able to hang out and relax. The next day, I had my swimming test and earned a Class II rating. I then went on the “blob” and was launched the highest in years, according to the camp leader. On the third day, I went for Marksmanship training. I shot the bow and got a bulls eye! Afterwards, we went on a hike for Qualified Field training. We marched up the mountain and camped at the top. We made our own shelters and cooked our own dinner over the fire. 3rd Division Summer Camp:“The Most Fun I’ve Had in Years” (Top Left): Young Marines from the 3rd Division assemble at their Summer Camp. (Below): Attendees at ease.