A document outlining what “The Young Marine Recruit Must Know” includes subjects ranging from “how often they must change their underwear” to “how to properly address all adults.” Eligible recruits starting at eight years old must pass the knowledge test and perform certain exercises to become a private in the Young Marines, a youth organization modeled after the United States Marine Corps.
“Without the Young Marines program, I’d be a totally different person,” said Akshaya Krishna, a junior at Fremont’s Irvington High School who recently won her division’s “Young Marine of the Year” honor for the second time. “The way I hold myself, the way I speak… Everything has improved, and I have so much more confidence,” she said, crediting the organization with helping her overcome a fear of heights and developing public speaking skills that came in handy in a TV interview with a local news channel last year.
Krishna is a remarkably “eloquent and motivational young woman,” said Abra Hogarth, a spokesperson at the nonprofit’s headquarters in Virginia. Nationally, only six students are awarded a division’s top honor, and it is especially rare to be selected twice in a row.
Candidates must meet stringent requirements, undergo a “question and answer” session, then deliver a speech in a lengthy process that sounds akin to a dissertation defense. In a 16-page portfolio shared by Krishna, her accomplishments include earning “a perfect physical fitness score of 500 ten times” and recognition for academic and volunteer efforts.
In 2023, Krishna saw an opportunity to make more impact by transferring to join the Young Marines unit in Sacramento. “There were five or six of us handling the Golden Gate unit,” Krishna explained, whereas Sacramento lacked senior officers. “It was a good opportunity for me to help out and help others get promoted. I could learn from them as well,” she said. After the switch, Krishna’s parents regularly drove two hours each way so she could join and lead activities in Sacramento.
Although drills and tests might seem like a grind, the organization’s events can also be a lot of fun. There are yearly camping trips and other travel opportunities. Some summer programs offer “caving, rock climbing, kayaking and ropes courses.”
In 2021, Krishna joined a group that climbed the Via Ferrata in West Virginia, a mountain range where climbers hook their carabiners onto a sheer cliff-face and traverse along a route. This year, she will fly to Washington D.C. to meet with members of Congress and lobby for support, continuing the nonprofit’s hard-won battle to reinstate funding after government budget cuts several years ago.
Although activity fees vary by unit and depend on geographical region, the organization is designed to be accessible for students of various backgrounds. “I’ve never seen a unit that has held someone back because they couldn’t afford it,” Hogarth said, adding that units are run independently by adult volunteers “out of the goodness of their hearts.”
Unlike the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC), the Young Marines do not belong to an official arm of the U.S. military. However, everything from the group’s uniforms to its emphasis on self-discipline is clearly inspired by the ethos of the armed services. Members are required to dress and speak a certain way that reflects their ranking. After graduation, roughly a third of Young Marines members enlist in the military, Hogarth said, while others decide to pursue more traditional paths.
Such a highly structured and serious environment may seem like a rarity these days. Krishna notes that she is the only student at Irvington High School who participates in the Young Marines. In a nationwide trend, the Department of Defense has cited ongoing challenges with military recruitment due to low familiarity, decreased physical eligibility and “low youth propensity to serve.”
Instead of brusque military commands and strict discipline, contemporary “gentle parenting” trends like to embrace “a kinder, more respectful parenting style,” according to the New York Times. Proponents of programs like the Young Marines believe there are great benefits to holding kids accountable to rigorous standards of conduct. A core part of the nonprofit’s mission is to encourage a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. The physical fitness test includes sit-ups, pull-ups and endurance runs.
The organization’s leadership academy claims to help kids “overcome… the battle within themselves to make right decisions during tough situations.” To some, doing tough things gets more natural over time. “With more practice, doing it more, it got easier,” Krishna said, reflecting on her years of training with the Young Marines.
Young Marines
youngmarines.org
