Page 16 REVEILLE (CS) June 25, 2009 183 graduate from YCP By Sgt. Michael Williams CSJFTC PA CAMP SHELBY, Miss.— The National Guard’s Youth Challenge Program (YCP) Class 30 graduated in a ceremony that was held on the parade field at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center (CSJFTC). After coming close to graduating one of the largest classes, the YCP Class 30 graduated Volume 5 • No. 3 June 25, 2009 FREE COPY 183 cadets. “This was a sizable class,” said Col. (retired) William Crowson, YCP director. “With the YCP, some will get a job and work Shelby sends off and we also had some to join the military.” “Our mission here at the YCP is to work with at-risk kids that have dropped out of 3,000 from 155th school and wanting to get a General Education Development (GED),” said Crowson. By Staff Sgt. Jackquline Herring According to the YCP Web site, today more Photo by Sgt. Michael Williams, Photo by Sgt. Michael Williams, CSJFTC PA (Above) Graduates from Youth Challenge Program (YCP) Class 30 march in on the parade CSJFTC PA than one million young Americans between 16 CSJFTC PA More than 3,000 Soldiers from Mississippi, Ohio, field at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center during a graduation ceremony. (Below) and 19 years of age drop out before acquiring Cadet Elizabeth Gamblin, Class and D.C., all of them members 30 valedictorian, addresses other Graduates from Youth Challenge Program (YCP) Class 30 stand in the bleachers on the parade the skills and personal traits necessary to of the 155th Brigade Combat Team, stood at “ Parade cadets in her graduating class dur- field at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center during a graduation ceremony. enable them to find employment and a better ing a graduation ceremony on Rest” during their sendoff ceremony June 9 at Camp life in the future. But at the YCP, their goal is Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Shelby Joint Forces Training Center. to prevent this from happening and provide the Center parade field as Youth For most of these Soldiers, this will be their sec- necessary skills to make it in this economic cri- Challenge Director Col. (retired) ond tour of duty in Iraq. They have been at Camp William Crowson looks on. sis. Shelby Joint Forces Training Center since May 1 “We can offer 16 hours of college credits training and preparing for another tour in Iraq. and try to teach them positive things with life and being able to adjust to a positive In attendance at the ceremony were many digni- part of society,” said Crowson. taries including Mississippi Governor Haley Photo by Sgt. Michael Williams, CSJFTC PA According to the state Department of Corrections, 87 percent of the individuals Barbour, Mississippi Adjutant General Maj. Gen. CAMP SHELBY, Miss.— Col. William Glasgow, William L. Freeman, Jr. and Col. William L. who are incarcerated in Mississippi did not graduate from high school, or have a commander of the 155th Brigade Combat Team Glasgow, 155th BCT commander. high school equivalency or GED, and 85 percent of those incarcerated have alcohol (BCT) addresses the troops and their Families or drug problems. Class 30 has earned numerous honors during the program by pro- during a sendoff ceremony at Camp Shelby Joint viding over 19,625 hours of community service work, raising over $1,400 for the Forces Training Center. See SENDOFF, Page 5 American Cancer Society and donating 103 pints of blood during the Challenge Red Cross Blood Drive. Twenty-two cadets completed up to fifteen semester hours of college courses from William Carey University, 11 cadets received certification’s in welding and ten cadets received certification’s as Microsoft Word Specialists. For more information on the Youth Challenge Program (YCP), visit www.ngycp.org/site/state/ms or www.ngycp.org or you can call 601-558-2324.

Photo by Sgt. Sharon Hinkle Adjutant General for visits with Camp Shelby

Soldiers with the 269th Engineer Detachment, (Well Drillers), from Live Oak, Fla., prepare for deployment to Afghanistan by training in both Indianapolis, Ind., and Camp Shelby, Miss. Pictured here, is Spec. Benjamin Grantham, a well driller, and members of the Laibe Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Kerry Corporation, out of Indianapolis, who have supplied Goodman, center, stands in formation with the drilling equipment that will accompany the 269th to troops of the 2-198th Armored Battalion, 155th Brigade Combat team, during the brigade’s Afghanistan. sendoff ceremony on the parade field at CSJFTC.