Photo By Lance Cpl. Norman Eckles | Gunner Sergeant Russell Garcia, communications cheif with Headquarters Battalion on...... read more read more
BARSTOW, Calif. - Misguided youth from Apple Valley, Calif., are given the opportunity to attend the Self-discipline, Honor, Obedience, Courage, and Knowledge Program as an option to turn their lives around.
In 2007, the Apple Valley Police Activities League created the SHOCK program for juvenile intervention and to fight the negative influences in today’s society. The program is 10 weeks long and is held every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
The children are expected to wear their uniform of the day at each training day.
The High Desert youth are put into the program for multiple reasons, said Claude Morris, a deputy sheriff and youth resource officer with AVPAL. Some are here because they are disrespectful, are into drugs, not going to school, committed acts of violence, or are court-ordered to go.
Marines with Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif., participate in the program and teach the children traits they can use in school and in real world situations.
With the help of the Marines’ military experience, it makes it easier to break them of their old habits and start the rebuilding process, he added.
“We started the program initially without the Marines,” said Morris.
In 2008, AVPAL asked the Marines and other services if they would like to volunteer their time to the program. Ever since then, the Marines have dedicated their time to every SHOCK class, he added.
“The Marines give the program that extra intensity,” said Morris. “They start out by yelling at the children and teaching them how to do proper drill movements.”
Drill is used to instill discipline and obedience to orders. This way the children are accustomed to being told what to do and performing the task given. If the children do not complete the task or are acting out, then they are yelled at. Yelling is beneficial because it gets their attention and makes them realize what they are doing isn’t right and also breaks them down mentally.
“In the beginning, we have to yell at the children to get them to understand what they are doing is wrong,” said Lance Cpl. Luis Castro, adjutant clerk with Headquarters Battalion on MCLB Barstow and a two-year SHOCK volunteer. “However, that’s not all we rely on. We try to mentor the children and teach them right from wrong.”
Throughout the program, the Marines continue with the same passion and dedication to the students. They devote as much time to the juveniles as they can to help them better themselves, he added.
“The reason we give so much time and effort is because we become attached to each class in one way or another,” said Castro. “We also can see the good in the children; they just need help and guidance on how to show it.”
As the program progresses through the weeks, the children start to change and become productive members of society, explained Castro.
“After we have broken their habits, we then teach them the 14 leadership traits the Marine Corps goes by,” said Morris, the former active duty Marine. “They are justice, judgment, decisiveness, integrity, dependability, tact, initiative, enthusiasm, bearing, unselfishness, courage, knowledge, loyalty, and endurance. These traits help them understand what it means to be a leader and break out of their (old habits).”
The children start to realize that they don’t have to follow their peers if they are doing something wrong or irresponsible, said Castro. They become leaders in society and in school.
“The only thing I worry about is that they are applying what they learn into their school work and school life,” Castro expressed, “because sometimes they are doing good in the program but not good in school.”
“However, the Marines make this program. They are (the) majority of the reason this program is successful,” said Morris. “I honestly would say the program wouldn’t be the same without them.”
| Date Taken: | 09.25.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 09.25.2013 18:28 |
| Story ID: | 114266 |
| Location: | BARSTOW, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 81 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Putting the shock in the SHOCK program, by LCpl Norman Eckles, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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