FIRST STATE YOUNG MARINES

First State Young Marines will be holding our annual NEW RECRUIT TRAINING beginning September 26, 2009. We will be having an information day on Saturday August 8, 2009 beginning at 1400 hours (2pm). Registration must be filled out and turned in on or before September 12, 2009 to be able to participate in recruit training. This NEW recruit taining and registration is for First State Young Marines located in Dover Delaware and surrounding towns in Kent county Delaware. Please contact your local Young Marine unit for information on registration in your area. Forms for registration may be printed from the Want to Join page of this website.

The Young Marines is a youth education and service program for boys and girls, ages 8 through completion of high school. The Young Marines promotes the mental, moral, and physical development of its members. The program focuses on character building, leadership, and promotes a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. The Young Marines is the focal point for the U.S. Marine Corps'youth Drug Demand Reduction efforts.

Watch the Toys for Tots "Are You Santa" video.

The Young Marines is open to all youth ages 8 through completion of high school. The only membership requirement is that the youth must be in good standing at school. Since the Young Marines’ humble beginnings, in 1958, with one unit and a handful of boys, the organization has grown to over 240 units with 10,000 youth and 3,000 adult volunteers in 46 states, the District of Columbia, and, Germany, Japan and affiliates in a host of other countries.

Young Marine units are community-based programs lead by dedicated adult volunteers. Many of these volunteers are former, retired, active duty, or reserve Marines who believe passionately that the values they learned as Marines had a positive affect on them. It is through these caring adults that Young Marines learn the inner values of  

Honor, Courage and Commitment. Adult volunteers are individually screened by the National Headquarters based on background information and recommendations provided with each person's registration.

Upon joining a local Young Marine unit, youth undergo a 26-hour orientation program, generally spread out over several weekly meetings. This orientation program is affectionately called "Boot Camp." The youth learn general subjects such as history, customs and courtesies, close order drill, physical fitness, and military rank structure. After graduating from Young Marine "Boot Camp", the youth have the opportunity to learn more new skills, earn rank, wear the Young Marine uniform and work toward ribbon awards. Young Marines earn ribbons for achievement in areas such as leadership, community service, swimming, academic excellence, first aid and drug resistance education.

UNLEASH THE

YOUNG MARINE WITHIN