Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1999 15:54:22 -0700

SPECIAL OPERATIONS TRAINING GROUP PREPARES FOR 24TH MEU PREDEPLOYMENT TRAINING WHILE TRAINING YOUNG MARINES

By Sgt. Kevin L. Dolloson

More than 350 Young Marines from across the country and abroad spent six days here last week learning what Camp Lejeune Marines do and how they train. The Young Marines, which has 182 chapters worldwide and 10,000 youths enrolled, is an organization which instills discipline and Esprit de Corps in youths between the ages of 8 and 18. With chapters across the country and some abroad, they are usually run by U.S. Marines or former Marines who enjoy working with children. As part of their annual week of United States Marine training, July 21 was their scheduled day to learn the function of the Special Operations Training Group. II MEF SOTG trains the Camp Lejeune MEUs, ensuring they are capable of completing nontraditional, non-combatant missions. Even though the SOTG Marines are ready to begin the 24th MEU's training schedule which starts Monday, the Division trainers took time out of their schedule to have fun with the Young Marines. The type of training the Young Marines went through is the same as some of the training the MEUs go through. Every expeditionary unit, once they stand up, have designated Marines learn how to tie a rappel seat and rappel from a 33-foot tower. They also learned survival techniques like how to get water from wrapping a towel around your ankle and walking through tall grass, survival signaling by using a KIWI shoe polish can or dog tags and why a person should stay calm in survival situations. "It's nice to see kids have fun while learning what the Marine Corps does in a safe environment," said SOTG instructor Sgt. Brian Gross. During their long day on and around the Stone Bay rappel tower, the 8 to 18 year olds got a taste of the rappel and survival training some Marines experience regularly. The hot, humid morning started at 9 a.m. with the Young Marines being divided into three different groups. Two groups learned how to tie square knots for the rappel seats they were going to make, while another group learned about survival techniques before they were showered with "survival" candy out of MREs. After the first groups mastered how to tie a rappel seat with a little help from the instructors, they were ready to take on the 33-foot rappel tower. It took the Young Marines a while to get used to the height of the tower, but before they knew it, they were sliding down the ropes and excited to try again. "I was a little bit nervous at first," said Puyan Kheshti, 13, a Young Marine sergeant from Nashville,Tenn. "But after you do it, you want to do it again." "I've done rappelling before, but this is the first time I've done it when it was this safe," said Kale McBee, 15, a Young Marine recruit also from Nashville. The Young Marines seemed to have enjoyed their day with the Marines, even though it got cut short by the heat and humidity. "This is the part about being a Young Marine that I enjoy - having fun," said Manuel Villavicencio, 17, the Young Marines sergeant major from Dave County, Fla. "I also like the fact that they have taught me to be responsible, respect my elders, take initiative and keep yourself in a neat appearance." The guardians with the Young Marines were dressed and behaved like drill instructors from recruit training, but some of them were parents just getting involved. "This type of program works for two types of kids," explained Vicki Varela, whose son is a member of the chapter from Albany, Ga. "It works for good kids who are not necessarily from military families but want to be a part of the military, and for kids who are at risk because they are either in gangs, involved in drugs or having trouble at school." "This group is excellent for parents who're thinking about putting their kids in an organized group," she said. When SOTG begins their next evolution Monday, it will be with the Marines of the 24th MEU rather than the youngsters from around the country, but the teaching techniques and lesson plans will be the same. The Young Marines Program plays as vital a role in influencing today's youth as the Marine Corps does in developing Marines into future leaders of the Corps.