Sean Donnelly Photography

Young Marine Sgt. Andrew Gass, 14, stands at attention with other Quantico Young Marines on Marine Base Quantico in Quantico, Va. Gass’s father, a U.S. Marine, has been deployed to Iraq three times. The Young Marines program “helps my dad and I get closer, I’m doing something like my dad, and it’s kind of cool,” he says.

Young Marines practice marching as Gabrielle McNemar, 7, mimics the training class. McNemar plans on joining the Young Marines when she turns 8, the youngest age in which you can join.

Private Jacob Neville, 9, learns rifle drills at a Young Marines class in Pittsburgh, Penn. “It gives you discipline, it gives you self-confidence, and helps you build muscle and strength,” he says.

Keystone Young Marines go through PT (physical training) at the Baldwin Memorial Church in Pittsburgh, PA.

Recruit Keaton Meerdo, 10, holds his arms in the air with other Washington County Young Marines as punishment for talking during PT (physical training), inside the hangar bay of the Washington County National Guard Armory.

Douglas County Young Marines train at Lutheran High School in Parker, Colo. The Young Marines program, which has over 300 units in 46 states, The Young Marines receives $1 million in funding from the department of defense for its drug-reduction efforts.

Pvt. Brandon Curry awaits the next command during a class on rifle movements in the hangar bay of The Washington County National Guard Armory during the Washington County Young Marine boot camp in Washington, Pa. According to Deputy Director Don Shanks, “We teach the leadership side of the Marine Corps, not tactics. It’s not a recruiting tool for the military, but we believe in the high standard the military sets.”

Alex Moreno, 15, practices drill formations at Lutheran High School in Parker, Colo. Moreno’s father served in the U.S. Marines for sixteen years and completed two sixteen-month tours in Iraq. “He was deployed a lot, we really missed out on him…but we realized he was doing a really great deed for America. Knowing there is a lot more people like him makes me feel great inside knowing there’s people who would spend years away from their families, maybe not because they want to, but because they have to serve their country.”

LCpl. Michael Deyarmin stands at attention with the Washington County Young Marines at The Washington County National Guard Armory. “The young marines program is for kids who are interested in the military and just I guess want to go into the military, some kids just come for a little bit of discipline. The Marine Corps League thought about it in 1958, the first unit was in Waterbury, Conn. We learn about drugs and why we shouldn’t do them, we learn about physical fitness and learn how to survive in the wilderness if we ever get lost, things like that. ” he says.

Young Marines go through PT (physical fitness) at a training class in Whitehall, July 24, 2008. The Young Marines is officially a drug reduction program, but dissenters say it is a military recruitment tool.