Another Busy TVYM Weekend

On Friday May 2nd a volunteer Cadre from the Unit met at a park in the City of Murrieta. The unit was there to provide support for the American Cancer Societies Relay for Life in Murrieta City. The Young Marine s helped place banners on the fence line ,, , , help people carry their stuff to their camp sites ,, set up pop ups , , and tents , , for the city and placed spotlights up around the track , , , . It was a lot of work but the Young Marines were there to help out. And that is just what they did the small cadre from the unit was at the park form 1600 until 1900. After the volunteers were secured for the evening CO Guiles, and a Cadre of YM/1stSgt Guiles Security Force Young Marines LCpl. Masters, PFC Michalak and Pvt. Simms (only the males could be present since there were no female Advisors available). Stood guard the Security force took turns walking their post ushering away people who wanted to see what was going on . Or just wanted to try and get in . CO Guiles and Mr. Smith walked the track for 7 hours while the Young marines took shifts . The area was kept quiet and secure. At 0800 on the morning of May 3rd as the civilian population started to arrive and finish setting up their Relay spaces, the unit’s color guard also arrived and prepared to go to work. The Color guard consisting of Young Marines Sgt. Taylor, Cpl. Blake, LCpl. Masters and PFC Munoz practiced until the time came. CO guiles made final preparations with the relay Staff and the Young Marines and Mr. Smith took the Young Marines to their places. At 0900 the ceremony started the Young Marines marched out the colors and presented them as the National Anthem was sung , , , , , . After the Anthem the Young Marines smartly retired the colors back to Co Guiles’ position. The Young Marines and the CO loaded up in the CO’s and Mr. Smith’s vehicle and off they went to drill. The Security Force was also being utilized on May 3rd to help park cars for the Vail Lake Wine and Music Festival , , , . The day was long and the units Security Force parked about 350 cars on May 3rd they sent some to VIP and others to general parking the Security Force had it all mapped out and how they were going to accomplish it. Just in case there were any problems they had Cpl. Chavez and Mr. Smith with them (Cpl. Chavez is under training until his adult package is approved by Nationals). Lt. Boudreau and CO Guiles gave the Young Marines the units required bi-monthly 2.5 hours of DDR classes , , , , , . And then after chow something new the Young Marines practiced their team building skills in preparation for the next days drill events , , , ,, , , .   And of Course a little knockout to keep the Young Marines in practice with drill , . As the drill day ended at 1500 everyone headed home for Co Guiles, Mr. Smith and the next shift of the Security Force they would be meeting in 6 hours to pull guard duty at the Murrieta Relay for Life again. At 2100 the CO and YM/1stSgt. Guiles met the second shift of the units Security Force at the Murrieta Park to help control public traffic and secure the area , ,,,, , , , . The Security Force was in charge of ensuring that nobody got out of hand while inside the relay Park CO guiles and Mr. Smith were in charge of the main gate to stop some unruly people from trying to enter after the gate was closed. The rules were simple after 2200 nobody was allowed into the park unless they had a purple Relay for Life band “attached” around their wrist. If they had no band and refused to attach it the CO would not let them in to the relay park. The main concern as CO Guiles told the Security Force was like this 5% protection of Property and Equipment, 10% Protection for Adults and 85% for the kids that were in the Relay. The event went smooth the Young Marines, Mr. Smith and the CO staid awake all night. At times the Security Force would catch someone tryi9ng to get over the fence and they would deny them access and call up on the radio then they would secure that point. As the Young Marines walked they stopped High School kids from getting to wild and at the same time council adults on their lack of consideration for others. The night was quiet and all went well, in the morning at around 0500 the CO was still stopping people at the gates until 0600 he informed people that that was the rules and if they wanted their son or daughter or wife they needed to call them on their cell phone to the front gate. Although some people had words for the CO (which is why he did not Young Marines working the gate). As the CO and the Security Force started to leave People were coming up the CO, Mr. Smith and the Young Marines and thanking them for keeping the place safe the said they felt safer then being at home with us the Relay. As the CO opened the gate he did tell parents that although they were leaving people should have respect for others while they are walking around the track and not interfere with them. A lot of parents that were waiting at the gate made it a point to shake the CO’s hands and a lot of them even said Semper Fi to the Young Marines. The last person to talk to CO Guiles was Lt. Col stationed at MCB Camp Pendleton, he said that we had a fine bunch of Young Marines and that the CO should be proud the Lt. Col. Was walking the track all night and said he could not believe the fortitude these Young Marines had and they backbone to tell their peers to behave and adults. The Lt. Col said that is what America needs more of this kind of training for kids with an ooh-rah! And a hand shake he was off around the track again. It was May 4th it was time to go to drill now the CO and Mr. Smith took the Young Marines to drill (they had a 2 hour power nap before everyone arrived , ). Lt. Boudreau Co guiles, Cpl Chavez and Mr. Smith took conducted PT and took the unit on a small PT run as they do every drill Sunday. Young Marines GySgt. Guiles gave a class on the NATO phonetic alphabet while Sgt. Currier gave a class on Marine Corps History and Mrs. Guiles would then later take the young Marines and run a mock portion of the PFT. The CO was busy building and advanced leadership and team building course for the Young Marines to accomplish , . While the classes and PFT were going on. The Security Force took their positions at the front gate at 1100 to park cars for the last day of Vail Lake Wine and Music festival. After Chow the CO gave a tour of the leadership course to the adult staff and each picked a course to run. As the Young Marines came over they were grouped into teams of six. Before anyone could start their course of course they had to decide on how to take on the challenge . The course was designed to run continuously without any lag time. The first course “The Chess board challenge” was designed to get one group to the PT stand faster than the other you could be creative by tossing your pallets into the square before the other team and cutting them off only one team can occupy a square at a time ,, ,, ,. Once the chess board challenge was complete. The group on the PFT stand mounted their caterpillar skies and off they would go working as a team to get to the end of this course they even had to walk sideways to get around obstacles , , , , . The next course was the medic course and time was critical to work here you had to apply the proper 1st aid techniques and then get the wounded Young Marine safely across the “kill zone” and to safety. Of course first your blindfolded medic would have to find the 1st aid kit , , , , . Once the first aid portion was taken care of the team had to complete a task by taking a sand bag 50 meters to another side using who they had left while another Young Marine using the phonetic alphabet had to find the cone everyone had to take the sand bag too , , ,. The challenges were hard and the rules were simple the team picked their leader who changed at all 6 stations. Only that leader gave directions if anyone else did the team lost. If you stepped out of the box or designated area you were and out of the game. If the leader could not be heard or did not give directions they were taken out of the game. If the victim in the 1st aid course touched the ropes the team lost. The last places the Young Marines went to was Mrs. Guiles buddy team building stations , , , , ,, ,,, , . Where the Young Marines were tied into knots (with their own hands) and had to get out of them or the fastest side to get the hula hoop around the group. The day was fun and a lot of work was accomplished in the process but it was another of those whirlwind TVYM drill days where everyone had fun and learned something. Ooh-Rah Young Marines!!!!