EDINBURGH, Ind – More than 50 kids from the Young Marines Youth Group attended leadership courses at Camp Atterbury June 5th to the11th. The kids ranged from ages 11 through 18 and came from seven states, some as far away as Colorado. The two leadership development courses were the Junior Leader’s Course (JLC) and the Senior Leader’s Course (SLC). Here kids had the opportunity to enhance their abilities as squad and platoon level leaders.
“I would describe this program as a motivational program,” said Blake Hulett, 18, the Young Marines Youth Group Academy Sergeant Major. Hulett says that the program is not a Scared Straight program and can accept any kid who wants to learn discipline and how to work as a team.
Hulett has been a Youth Marine since the age of 10 and is now the senior ranking Young Marine with the Indianapolis unit. With the help of other senior members of the program, he oversaw the training and development in the course while gaining valuable managerial skills from the position.
Training during the camp included squad and platoon level drill and ceremonies along with land navigation classes, which teach practical skills such as map and compass reading. The culminating event is known as the Drill Test, in which the young leaders demonstrate their abilities to command squads and platoons using movement commands.
Because the school is run primarily by the kids, adults in the program are able to take a step back and provide mentorship and advice for the senior members such as Hulett. Scott Riley, the school director and a former United States Marine, was able to elaborate on the goals of the program and spoke with pride about the kids he’s worked with.
“The core is drug demand reduction,” Riley explained. “We do that by keeping kids focused and on a goal. I hope they can become a productive citizen, a productive adult. This could be all the way up to governors or senators, to being a valued employee somewhere.”
The Young Marines have around 11,000 members nationwide, including several overseas units where active duty military families are stationed. While the program is not a recruiting effort for the military, it is not uncommon for Young Marines to look toward military service when they meet the age requirement. Riley’s own story of how he and his oldest son became involved in the Young Marines is largely due to his service in the Marine Corps.
“His classmate was a Young Marine, and told him about it,” Riley said. “That interested him because I was a Marine.”
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