The Young Marines, a National Youth Organization, recently awarded junior Cooper Johnston with the Young Marine of the Year Award.  According to young marines.com, the organization promotes mental, physical and moral development, focuses on character building, leadership and advocates a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.

“Technically, I have been apart of the program for six years,” said Johnston. “But it’s really been close to nine years. I am honored to win the Regimental Young Marine of the Year Award. It is very prestigious.”

Young Marines is a drug demand reduction program for boys and girls, as young as eight years of age to high school graduates. Young Marine community units are run by adult volunteers. Of those volunteers, many are retired Marines who are dedicated to teaching the values they learned.

Members of Young Marines undergo a 26 hour recruit training orientation. They learn close order drill, physical fitness and military rank structure. Young Marines have a creed and a set of rules to follow, which includes: obeying anyone in charge, regardless of age, keeping themselves neat at all times, keeping a clean mind by attending the church of their faith, keeping an alert mind at all times and constantly having self-discipline.

“We do all sorts of crazy and fun things,” said Johnston. “We have been in parades and flag folding ceremonies. A couple times we built shelters out of sticks and mud, and we’ve went on trips over the weekend to navy ships. We’ve gone rock climbing, and have done other fun activities.”

The Young Marines mission is to offer an outlet to Marines for them to teach the values they learned and believed helped them shape their moral development.

“The Marine Corps League is an association where veterans can get together and continue the traditions they learned in the Marine Corps,” said Johnston. “Often times, they don’t have an outlet for that kind of deal in regular society. So the Young Marines is a Drug Demand Reduction Program for the youth and that’s what I’m a part of. It teaches kids the importance of a drug-free lifestyle as well as other skills.”

In addition to a vote within the unit, nominees then stand a board and are interviewed about their thoughts on leadership.  The next phase is battalion and the selected nominee then goes to regiment and stands before the regiment board.

“You have to meet certain qualifications,” said Johnston. “To win the award a Young Marine must have CPR, first aid, and physical fitness qualifications. Leadership must be shown at all times and different questions are asked the higher you go up the leadership ranking.”

Young Marines is a tough and demanding program that requires self-discipline and dedication in order to  move up in leadership and even be a part of the program.

Through all of it, Johnston enjoys it.

“It gives me an opportunity to be something more than just a student,” said Johnston. “I get to be looked up to by little kids in the program and teach them a few things I have picked up. It’s fun for me.”