By YM/PFC Caleb Loya Eagle (CA) Being a Young Marine has been very rewarding for me. Recruit training was very tough for me. Thanks to my parents and older brother, I made it to graduation. My brother (YM/PFC Aiden Loya) and I earned the title Young Marine and have been given great opportunities to do fun things. Our Unit Commander had us set up a Drug Demand Resistance information table at a local shopping center. We had many shoppers (and shop- pers with children). I was a little scared to speak up at first. I listened to what my Unit Commander and my brother would say to the parents. Some other children came to me and asked about the ribbons I was wearing. I told them about all the activities we do in the Young Marines and how we earn our ribbons. We had a picture of DEA Officer Enrique “Kiki” Camarena displayed at our table. They asked me about him and I then explained who he was and what he did. I continued talking and explaining how Young Marines enjoy living a drug-free lifestyle. I would explain to parents that nobody wants their children abusing drugs or having to see their kids getting arrested or being suspended from school. Parents want to see their chil- dren succeed in life.My brother and I talked the whole time.My brother and I had a great time at our first DDR table, and we both look forward to the next time we get to do this. A Drug-Free Lifestyle: Two YM Brothers Help Get the Word Out By YM/GySgt Abbigail Waters Mountain View (CO) Red Ribbon week is celebrat- ed the last week in October each year. Red Ribbon week was made a national program by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to honor Special Agent Enrique (Kiki) Camarena for his work to prevent drugs from en- tering the United Sates. Special Agent Enrique was a former U.S. Marine who became an agent for the Drug Enforcement Agency. He was about to expose a multi-billion dollar drug pipeline into the U.S. when he was kidnapped and killed by the drug lords. His friends began wearing Red Ribbons and pledging to be drug free, which is how Red Ribbon week began. Each year, schools across America celebrate this week, and use it to bring awareness to today’s youth about the dangers of abus- ing drugs. As a Young Marine, I have had many hours of train- ing in Drug Demand Re- duction and a desire to help spread the word. In the Young Marines we use the motto, “Closing the Gate on Drugs.” We believe that if we can have young people learn skills to avoid those gateway drugs, we can help America reduce drug abuse. Agent Kiki Camarena believed that one per- son could make a difference. During this week, I set out to be one of those try- ing to make a difference. With the cur- rent problem of opioid drug abuse in our country, It is critical that we make kids aware of the dangers of abusing drugs. I was able to give presentations for Red Ribbon Week to approximately one hundred students at Castle Rock Middle School locally. The students were engaged, asked questions, and it became clear that our best hope at becoming a drug-free na- tion really is with our youth.The students pledged to be drug free, now and in the future. But more importantly, they left with the message of Agent Camarena; One person can make a difference, and they took the pledge to help spread the word to their peers and families. While Red Ribbon Week is only one week out of the year, we must remember the lessons to be learned. A drug-free nation starts by educating our youth, and I am grate- ful to have Red Ribbon week as an op- portunity to spread the word. I leave you with the motto I talked with the middle schoolers about, I pledge to be drug-free! Join me in spreading the word of leading a drug-free lifestyle and take the pledge to be drug-free. Red Ribbon Week, and Honoring Special Agent Camarena In Colorado, a Young Marine is helping to make a difference. At Holiday Family Fun Fair at MCAS Miramar, the Miramar (CA) Young Marines staffed a Young Marines Drug Demand Reduction booth, and handed out anti- drug abuse materials and spoke with Family Fun Fair attendees about the Young Marines program. The Commanding Officer of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Colonel Jason G. Woodworth stopped by to speak with the Young Marines. --Submitted by Bret A. Righthouse, Unit Commander Miramar (CA) Young Marines Miramar: Talking Drug Demand Reduction at MCAS Miramar YM/Pvt Leslie Garcia and YM/Pvt Victoria Torres handing out Drug Demand Reduction coloring books. 10 YOUNG MARINES ESPRIT ONLINE