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The sound of morning colors echoed through the Combat Center
as the National colors were raised, unfurled and honored by
Marines and local Boy Scouts working side-by-side for the
daily tradition aboard the installation.
Approximately 60 scouts from Boy Scouts of America troops
72, 77, 78 and 180 from the High Desert area visited the
Combat Center for a Boy Scout Camp Out March 17-20, 2016.
The camp out allowed the scouts to temporarily set up shop
at Camp Wilson and showcased many of the installation's
training capabilities, facilities used by Marines in
preparation for deployment and base conservation efforts.
The scouts also received a Crash fire rescue demonstration
and conducted their own competition and ceremonies.
Marines from Headquarters Battalion help boy scouts from Boy Scouts of America troops 72, 77, 78 and 180 unravel and hold onto the national colors before the playing of morning colors at Lance Cpl. Torrey L. Gray Field as part of the Boy Scout Camp Out March 20, 2016. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Medina Ayala-Lo)
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“Everyone has been so accommodating since the beginning of
coordination with the base,” said Nicole Fenstermaker, unit
commissioner, Boy Scouts of America. “When one event got
locked on, every parent and volunteer began throwing in more
ways they could contribute to make this camp great.”
The
event included tours of the Battle Simulation Center,
Exercise Support Division, Archaeology and Paleontology
Curation Center, and the Indoor Simulated Marksmanship
Trainer.
“Some of the scouts have parents who serve
or have retired and some don't have a parent who has ever
been in the military, but allowing the group to see sides of
the Marine Corps none of them get to see on a regular basis
made the camp a unique experience for everyone,” Nicole
said.
The Boy Scouts' visit to ESD allowed the
children to see several of the Marine Corps' more prominent
vehicles used on today's battlefield such as the Armored
Breaching Vehicle, Amphibious Assault Vehicle, Mine
Resistant Ambush Preventive vehicle and the High Mobility
Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle among others. ESD personnel
guided Chaperones and members of the group through the
vehicles describing their design and purpose.
“A lot
of the culture in the Boy Scouts mirrors the military
because of how it began,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2
Brandon Fenstermaker, troop leader, Boy Scouts of America.
“This organization was started by a man who was a commander
in the British Army and he brought those skills back to
England because he saw the value in passing those on to the
youth.”
Scouting's history goes back to the turn of
the 20th Century, beginning with British Army officer,
Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell. While stationed in
India, he discovered that his men did not know basic first
aid or the elementary means of survival. Baden-Powell
realized he needed to teach his men many frontier skills, so
he wrote a small handbook called Aids to Scouting, which
emphasized resourcefulness, adaptability, and the qualities
of leadership that frontier conditions demanded. This would
lay the groundwork for him to begin teaching these skills to
children and the early Boy Scout organization, according to
the Boy Scouts of America resource website, www.scouting.org.
“When the scouts are out here we have them do
everything from resource management to leadership amongst
themselves,” Brandon said. “That leadership skill is
something we stress upon them so they can work as a team and
rely on each other, much like small unit leadership in the
Marine Corps.”
The scouts also visited the
installation's Curation Center allowing them to see "Thelma
and Louise," ambassadors of the Desert Tortoise, up close
along with the Combat Center's efforts toward conserving
artifacts and history found aboard the Combat Center. The
center also stores artifacts from the Marine Corps Mountain
Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, Marine Corps Air
Station Yuma and Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow.
“It's very satisfying to show anyone how much is
actually going on here at this center,” said Charlene Keck,
collections manager, Archaeology and Paleontology Curation
Center. “Because the Boy Scouts are so focused on camping
and how people interact with the natural environment, it
seems [like a good fit] for them to visit this center and
find out more about what was in the local area and what they
can find today.”
The scouts also visited the Battle
Simulation Center where they had the opportunity to
experience the Combat Convoy Simulator and Vehicle Rollover
simulator. The group's trip to the ISMT also had scouts
participating in weapon simulators for the M240B Machine
Gun, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon and Mark 19 Grenade
Launcher. These events gave the scouts a different
perspective on the kind of training Marines conduct to
prepare for any mission.
“This is all really cool,”
said Devin Castanon, boy scout, Troop 72. “Being able to be
around all the [weapons] and other [vehicles] up close is
different and new.”
The scouts used this event to not
only observe aspects of Marine life, but to also conduct
their annual Order of the Arrow Call Out, which selected
scouts from each troop who were nominated by their peers for
exemplary scouting skills, leadership and willingness to
learn. The order is an honor society within the organization
symbolized by a white sash with a red arrow for members who
have been officially accepted, which is a title they earn
and keep for life.
“This portion of the camp is a big
deal for a lot of the scouts,” Brandon said. “Once they
officially become a member of the Arrow, it is something
that stays with you for life, like earning a title they can
always have with them.”
The scouts concluded their
camp with a scout competition encompassing trust, leadership
skills, endurance, knowledge and knot-tying techniques.
Marine Wing Support Squadron 374 Crash Fire Rescue Marines
also visited the group at Camp Wilson to demonstrate the
nature of their job, equipment they use, and the mission of
crash fire rescue.
During the Installation's daily
flag-raising ceremony Sunday morning, the Combat Center
allowed three scouts to become part of the base's flag
detail and assist in the unfurling and raising of the
American Flag alongside Marines.
“I really hope this
becomes a tradition,” Nicole said. “You get the same
expression of [excitement] whether they have lived around
this environment or not. That first ‘Aha!' or ‘Wow!' moment
you get from the kids makes all the work worth it and its
memories they will keep with them.”
More photos available below
By U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Charles Santamaria
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2016
The U.S. Marines
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