Group brings stability to children of military parents

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- Marine Capt. James Jones stared down at the nervous private wearing new camouflage and a worried look.

The 10-year-old had forged his mother's name on school papers, an act of disrespect Jones wouldn't tolerate. He ordered the boy to remove his stripes and stripped the crying child of his rank.

Welcome to the Camp Lejeune Young Marines, one of 220 chapters in a 45-year-old group that teaches discipline and respect using the Marine Corps model. Many of the children here, a mix of boys and girls between 8 and 18, have parents in Iraq. Others are from civilian families.

"When their father's away they just kind of rebel," said one mother, Michelle Tehas, whose husband shipped out in January. "I wanted them to do something."

A surrogate father

The kids meet at a Camp Lejeune gym for 2 1/2 hours most Wednesday nights, with fund raisers and camping trips on the weekends. Jones, the group's commanding officer, has become a surrogate father to many of the 75 or so children in his unit, about half of whom have Marines as parents.

The kids proudly wear camouflage uniforms, pants legs tucked in their boots and sleeves neatly rolled. They divide their meeting time between exercise and academics.

Last week, Jones quizzed them about military history, part stand-up comedian and part taskmaster as he paced inside of a circle of about 35 children. Those who believed they knew the answers stood to reply.

If they hope to rise in rank, the pint-sized grunts must understand basic civics and learn the names of famous Marines such as Chesty Puller and Archibald Henderson. "Sir" or "ma'am" end every answer to adults or fellow Young Marines of higher rank.

The minimum age to join is 8. Cindy Rabidou's oldest son badgered her for a year before his eighth birthday to let him join; he's been a member for 4 1/2 years and his younger brother joined about two years ago.

"I was all for it," Rabidou said. "I like the fact that because Dad's a Marine and he's not always here, there's that male contact."

Taste of sarcasm

A group of about 20 "recruits" joined the unit last week, lining up in blue jeans and T-shirts under the direction of 30-year-veteran and former drill instructor Master Gunnery Sgt. Andrew Davis. They were taught to stand at attention, line up in military formation and respond quickly, courteously and loudly when called upon.

Davis also gave them a taste of military sarcasm.

"How'd you get picked?" he asked 13-year-old Stephanie Mejia, who was chosen to lead the recruits through drills.

"Sir, I don't know, sir," she shouted in reply.

"Neither do I," he said.

He cautioned an 8-year-old to lose a stick-on tattoo and threatened to trim the mohawk hairdo of another boy.

"Don't make me get my field knife," he said.

Jones assured parents and visitors the goal is not to intimidate or indoctrinate the children.

"This program is not designed to make your son or daughter a Marine, sailor or whatever," said Jones, who has sent three of his own four children through the program. He said he believes it helps them become respectful, responsible and fit.

"This is about teaching," he said later. "This is about mentoring."

Jones makes it clear that he doesn't intend to replace parents, only to help them. Sometimes, he knows it means making little boys cry by taking away something they've worked hard for.

"It's amazing how much these little pieces of plastic mean to them," he said, gently shaking the young forger's plastic stripes in his palm. "I'll give them back to him in a couple of weeks when he has his head on straight."

On the Net

Young Marines: www.youngmarinesreg01.org