By Sgt. Bernardo Guido
East Valley Young Marines
On the morning of April 15, 2006 East Valley, Inland Valley, and Temecula Valley Young Marines from 3rd battalion Ca. Regiment arrived at March Air reserve Base for rappelling exercises. To thank March Air reserve base for allowing us to use their 64 foot training tower to climb, our units worked together to pull weeds and clean up along the "A ring" of the tower.

Although most of us thought it would be a straight wall and it would be a simple wall rappel run, we were in for quite a surprise. Instead we had to climb and jump rappell. To most of us, at first, while we watched Gunny Gibson demonstrate the climb, it seemed simple. We talked of how we would do it in a minute, but the tower proved to be an arduous challenge. When it was my turn I had only one thought in my mind, "simple." At first it was, but arriving to the top I faced bigger fear like slipping and not being able to find a place to lift off from. Then I got to the top and faced the biggest challenge of my life! Jumping off the top! Just one rope to save my life, and an adult leader on the ground below controlling the other end of the rope with the belay safety hook-up.

Earlier, I remembered encouraging other fellow Young Marines to get up and jump, and I didn't want to discourage anyone. A leader must always set the example, so that's what I needed to do. I did my safety check and jumped off sooner than I expected. After me a lot of Young Marines jumped without hesitation. That day I learned, when the time comes the only solution to fear is courage.

Bernardo Guido is also involved in JROTC at his High School and wants to become a journalist when he graduates from college.

Junior Leadership School at Camp Pendleton, CA.

3 Young Marines from East Valley Recall Their Experience.

by Bonnie Bishop

27 Selected Young Marines from 4 Units spent the week at Camp Margarita, located in Camp Pendelton, California, on July 30 to August 5th, 2006. The Units participating were the Muroc Young Marines, Temecula Valley Young Marines, Camp Pendelton Young Marines and East Valley Young Marines. They arrived on a warm Southern California Sunday much relieved to find the temperature had cooled drastically from the record highs they had experienced the week prior at the Vail Lake National Encampment.

When asked about the first day, Young Marine Corporal Christian Ramirez said, “Revelry was at 0500 and we formed up for PT and ran one mile. Then we ate at the Chow Hall and it was great! Then we learned about leading drill!”

Here is what Young Marine Lance Corporal Bradley Dotson had to say about The barracks at Camp Margarita. “The bunks were by the windows and the lockers were lined up in the middle of the room. The bottom bunks didn’t have very much head room, but they were comfortable. The lockers were roomy.” Junior Leadership Classes took up at least six hours of each day and they had plenty of material to study. Some classes were held in a shady picnic area, a true test of concentration. With all the military activity surrounding them, Ramirez recalls some of the activity. “All around us Marines were getting shipped out, Scout Snipers were training, running by…” YM Lance Corporal Nathan Bishop added, “Paratroopers were jumping out of C130’s close by and a Chinook landed and then took off again right there in front of us, and Humvees were lined up in the parking lot right outside our barracks!” Some of these Young Marines, from ages 12-17, were experiencing their very first time on a military base and were in jaw dropping awe of all the base activity.

On day two they broke into six teams and challenged the ‘O’ Course. This tested their skills at working as a team and helping each other succeed on the obstacles put before them. YM Sgt Bernardo Guido’s team won by making it through as a team in 7 minutes! Outstanding!

On day three, they had a Land Navigation class, presented by a resident Marine specialist in Land Navigation. After a classroom orientation, they then would need to venture out into miles of bamboo jungle and find 2 poles hidden, using the directions given. Then they went out to the field.
Ramirez explains , “Land Nav was fun and easy for me but not for others. It is difficult to learn the 8 digit location but Young Marines can do it! Daytime was easier, but at night it was difficult, the terrain was crazy, dirt and holes and bamboo, you can’t see out, but we still found both points.”

Bishop recalls the night time Land Navigation. “We went back out there at night with our flashlights! There were helicopters flying overhead with lights and just a few miles away there were loud missiles exploding making it seem like a war zone, and we still had to find the two locations….” Dotson adds, “My group found the first 2 with no problem and the Marine instructor had never seen that from a Young Marine Unit! Then we went back out and got the next 2 also!”

On day 4 they went on the 5 mile hike! Mr. Siegmann had each Young Marine take a turn at leading the cadences, stopping only once to take a group picture. Dotson recalls, “The five mile hike was long but it did not feel like it because we were having so much fun that day!” and Ramirez adds, “It was a good hike, everyone sang cadences…it didn’t feel like 5 miles, it should have been 10!”

On Day 5 each group worked together and gave a short mini class/presentation on a subject from the guidebook, and they took the final written tests and drill tests. At 1800 they graduated and many parents and unit staff came to witness. All participants passed and were awarded the Junior Leadership Ribbon and a Certificate.

When asked what they are looking forward to teaching as leaders in their units, they all had exciting and positive reply’s. “I can teach ropes and knots…” said Young Marine Corporal Dotson. “ I can’t wait to do more Land Nav with our unit and teach the rest how to…” replied Young Marine Lance Corporal Bishop. “I want East Valley Unit to be the best at PT, Drill, and yelling…in the Nation! East-Valley-Ooh-RAH!!” exclaimed Young Marine Corporal Ramirez!

I attended the encampment from June 24-30, 2007, with 7 others from my Unit. We were all excited about all the things we would get to do. The first day we did Swim qualifications at Camp Horno. We learned how to float for survival and we jumped off a high platform. Then after chow we had Drill practice. The next day we did the Marksmanship simulator with M16’s, SAW M249 and a shotgun.

Then we went on a survival hike. I don’t remember how many miles, but a Pvt hiking with me ran out of water on the way back and I gave her most of my water. Then I ran out of water and barely made it back. The next morning we had a serious drill and after chow we went to the O Course and did relay races. It was fun but I was feeling hot and dehydrated. The next day we went rapelling and went to LCAC ,and saw a video about the hover boat. We went outside and saw the LCAC and then went to the Air Field to go inside the Chinooks and I talked to an Engineer who told us all about the Chinooks. We also saw the Viper and Huey Helicopters.

Then we moved from Camp Horno to Del Mar area and stayed in the Corporals Course Bldg barracks. On Friday we had the Drill and Color Guard Competition and then we went to the beach for a barbeque for the rest of the day and had fun in the water. My unit, East Valley, got 2nd Place in the Color Guard Competition by 1 point to 1st place , ‘Chosan Young Marines’ Unit.

The last day all the Units joined together to march in the Oceanside Parade. There were almost 200 Young Marines in the Parade. I was in the last group waiting to get transported to the parade . They barely got us there to be in the parade but we made it!

The Final formation was at 1330 and we lined up in our units and were dismissed. We each earned 9 ribbons at Division 6 Encampment.