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Razorback Young Marines in the News

'Growing to Serve'

Posted: August 5, 2009 - 8:35pm

The Razorback Young Marines “Growing to Serve” Community Service project has been using donated land from Advent Lutheran Church to grow fresh vegetables for Bethlehem House. Pictured is SGT Cody Camp with a second harvest for delivery. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Log Cabin Democrat-August 6, 2009

YOUNG MARINES RECEIVE HONORS- The Razorback Young Marine unit of Conway held Recruit Graduation on Sunday.

Graduating with the rank of Private were: AJ McLean of Cabot, Ricky Harris of Damascus, Casey Camp of Greenbrier.

Graduating with honors as Honor Recruit and the rank of Private First Class was Kenny Medlin of Vilonia.

During the event a promotion was also awarded. Sara Stovall of Conway was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant. Having worked two years to earn this honor, Stovall is now the highest ranking Young Marine in the state.

The Young Marines is a youth program for boys and girls ages eight through high school.

"The Razorback Young Marines will be collecting items for care package to send to Marines deployed to Iraq.

They will be collecting items from 6 to 8 p.m. on June 4 at Advent Lutheran Church, 900 Farris Road.

They will be collecting items again from 4 to 6 p.m. June 22 at the same location.

Suggested items include baby wipes, calling cards, socks, DVDs, CDs, games, playing cards, magazines, hand warmers, fly swatters, hand sanitizers, crackers, beef jerky, canned tuna, popcorn, breakfast bars, fruit cups, lip balm, hand cream, hard candy and monetary donations to cover postage."

' A great opportunity '

Razorback Young Marines learn life skills

LITTLE ROCK - "The Marine stood on her tiptoes, stretching, and barely reached the edge of the plastic tote sitting on the truck's tailgate.

Bagwell is the youngest member of the Razorback Young Marines, which is based in Conway.

The nonprofit organization for males and females ages 8-18 teaches discipline, leadership, teamwork and the importance of staying away from alcohol, tobacco and drugs, according to the Web site, and it isn't a program for at-risk youth or military recruiting.

Sgt. Sara Stovall, 13, is a seventh-grader at Carl Stuart Middle School. She said she first became interested in the program after seeing Razorback Young Marines marching in the Toad Suck Daze parade.

"It's a great opportunity for kids, because it boosts your confidence and improves your leadership and teamwork skills," Stovall said.

The Razorback Young Marines have drill every other weekend, go on field trips and participate in community service projects, such as the ongoing collection of items to send to Marines deployed to Iraq. There is week-long boot camp where Razorback Young Marines tackle physical challenges, learn drill and marching, and military customs, such as taking care of their uniform and boots, but it is substantially less harsh than military boot camps portrayed in the movies, Stovall said.

Stovall said the hardest part of boot camp was memorizing a lot of Marine Corps and Young Marine history and the physical fitness test.

This year she'll have to run one mile in eight minutes and either do pull-ups or hang from a pull up bar for 30 seconds. Stovall said at one time she was considering going into the Air Force, but now she wants to become a pediatrician. This summer Stovall will be attending a leadership school at Camp Pendeleton Marine Corps Base, which is near San Diego, Calif. While at the school, she will get to meet with and learn from other Young Marines from all across the country.

"I like all the opportunities it provides. If you stay in for five years, you get to go on one oftheir trips to Europe," Stovall said.

Razorback Young Marines earn rank and military ribbons in the program. Military ribbons are given for everything from marksmanship to learning CPR.

Stovall, who came up with the idea to collect items to send to Marines deployed to Iraq, said the Razorback Young Marines will continue collecting from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday, from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, June 4, and from 4-6 p.m. Sunday, June 22, at Advent Lutheran Church, 900 Farris Road.

Cpl. Parker West, 14, an eighth-grader at Bob Courtway Middle School, said his grandfather is an ex-Marine and told him about the Young Marines program. He said he's enjoyed the training.

"We spent two nights out in the middle of nowhere. We had to cut down branches to build shelters, and we had a fire watch, where you have patrol the entire camp during the night. Being in the Razorback Young Marines is really fun, and it seems like it has helped me in a lot of different areas," West said.

For him, the hardest part of boot camp was memorizing so much information in such a short amount of time.

"If we gave a wrong answer or did something stupid, they'd make us do 10 pushups," West said.

While he has enjoyed his timein the Razorback Young Marines, he isn't considering going into the military right now.

West set up the Razorback Young Marines' Web site at www.razorbackyoungmarines.org and maintains it. There are videos of the Razorback Young Marines in action on the site along with applications for recruit training which is Friday, Aug. 1, to Monday, Aug. 4, at Arthur V. Ormond Lock and Dam Park in Morrilton."