By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

RESERVE – Just six months after graduating its inaugural platoon, a second group of St. John the Baptist Parish youth has become the newest members of the St. John Young Marines.

A squadron of 18 boys and girls, now known as “Bravo Platoon,” celebrated the completion of a 26-hour training course Saturday evening at Riverside Academy in Reserve with a ceremony full of the pomp and circumstance of a true armed forces event.

“The purpose of this group and this organization is not to prepare these kids for war. It is to prepare them for life,” said Young Marines Unit Commander Brian Bertrand. “We are going to give them every opportunity that will allow them to succeed at life.”

For every other weekend over the last three months the Young Marine recruits of the Bravo Platoon, ages 11 to 14, have been engrossed in lessons on leadership, public speaking, drug resistance, life saving and survival skills. Along the way, the new recruits received assistance, advice and knowledge from members of the Alpha Platoon, the inaugural group of Young Marines that graduated in October.

“They have taken over some of the duties in some respects. It is their job to gain more responsibilities,” Bertrand said. “Several responsibilities handled by others during the graduation last year were handled by Alpha Platoon.”

On hand for the graduation Saturday was Douglas Champagne Sr., National Young Marines Program Commander for Division 4, which includes St. John Parish. Champagne, a retired member of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office who started the Young Marines program in that area in 1997, has checked in on St. John Parish’s unit from time to time and said he has always been impressed with the work.

“This is how it is supposed to be run,” Champagne said. “And when it is run how it is supposed to be run, the program can be an asset to the children, the parents and the parish as a whole. We are taking young men and women who have never been in trouble before and teaching them the self discipline they need before they get away from us.”

St. John Parish President Natalie Robottom, who spoke briefly during the ceremony, called the Young Marines “one of the best programs to have been started in St. John Parish.”

“They are always willing and ready to help out at any event we put on,” Robottom said. “They have done so much for us throughout the year, and I’m sure we will call on them again soon.”

Bertrand said training for Alpha and Bravo Platoon will resume in June and added he is going through applications for recruits to join the “Charlie Platoon.” For more information on the program, visit www.sjpsoyoungmarines.com.

Members of the Bravo Platoon are: Destin Anderson, Da’Shawn August, Bailey Bertucci, Lauren Billings, Allegra Bovie, Justin Brown, Dante Chopin, Jerry Combs, Chelsea Fannin, Haley Hicks, Christina Holmes, Noah Hoover, Keely Johnson, Joshua Lingle, Shawn McCall, Jaycob Newsom, Shamal Polk and Kierre Stewart.