Anne Arundel Young Marines

10/30/2026

🇺🇸🎓 **2026 RECRUIT GRADUATION, PROMOTION & AWARDS CEREMONY** 🎖️🇺🇸

**Sunday, October 25, 2026**, was a day filled with family, pride, accomplishments, promotions, and a very special Recruit Graduation!

With proud family members and friends looking on, we had the honor of celebrating the well-deserved promotions of:

🎖️ **YM SGT KNOTT**

🎖️ **YM CPL PEREIRA**

🎖️ **YM PFC ALLEGAR**

🎖️ **YM PFC A. OTT**

🎖️ **YM PFC L. OTT**

One of the highlights of the ceremony was inviting parents and friends to personally pin on their Young Marines' new chevrons. These moments are more than just promotions—they represent hard work, dedication, leadership, and the tremendous support of family.

🎓 **AND THEN CAME OUR NEWEST YOUNG MARINE!**

All eyes were on **YM PVT COLLINS** as he proudly graduated from Recruit Training and officially began his journey as a Young Marine! Congratulations on reaching this important milestone. Your adventure is just beginning, and we look forward to watching you grow!

🇺🇸 **A SPECIAL THANK YOU!**

We would also like to recognize two very special guests:

⭐ **Mike Krieger**, Chaplain, American Legion Post #276

⭐ **Delegate La Toya Nkongolo**, District 31

Thank you both for joining us and sharing your words of inspiration and encouragement with our Young Marines and their families. Your presence helped make this occasion even more meaningful!

❤️ **IT TAKES A VILLAGE!**

A HUGE shout-out to our incredible Adult Volunteers and parents! Whether you brought a dish to share, helped decorate, assisted with preparations, or worked behind the scenes, please know that **YOUR EFFORTS DID NOT GO UNNOTICED!** Your generosity, teamwork, and dedication are what make events like this possible.

And what better way to end such a memorable day than with a **FULL-BLOWN FEAST AND CAKE!** 🎂🍽️

To our newly promoted Young Marines, our newest graduate, and all those who received recognition—**WE ARE PROUD OF YOU!**

Keep striving, keep leading, and never forget the values that make you a Young Marine.

🇺🇸 **SEMPER FI, YOUNG MARINES!** 🇺🇸

10/26/2026

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE ALERT!!!

10/26/2026

10/17/2026

10/17/2026

SPOTLIGHT ON HISTORY!!!

🇺🇸 THIS DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY 🇺🇸

OCTOBER 17, 1777 — THE SURRENDER AT SARATOGA

The Victory That Changed the Course of the American Revolution

On October 17, 1777, British General John Burgoyne surrendered approximately 5,800 troops to American forces under General Horatio Gates at Saratoga, New York.

After weeks of fierce fighting, dwindling supplies, and failed attempts to break through American lines, Burgoyne's army found itself surrounded with little hope of escape.

The British had entered the campaign intending to isolate New England from the other American colonies. Instead, they suffered one of the most consequential defeats of the Revolutionary War.

🇺🇸 WHY WAS SARATOGA SO IMPORTANT?

The American victory accomplished something far greater than the surrender of a British army.

It demonstrated that American forces could defeat a major British military campaign and helped convince France that the American fight for independence was worth supporting.

In February 1778, France formally allied itself with the United States, bringing military assistance, naval power, financial resources, and international recognition to the American cause.

The surrender at Saratoga is remembered as the turning point of the American Revolution.

What began as a struggle for independence among thirteen colonies was becoming an international war.

Nearly 250 years later, Saratoga remains a powerful reminder of the determination, sacrifice, and perseverance of those who fought to establish a new nation.

🇺🇸 History is not simply about remembering dates. It is about understanding the sacrifices and events that shaped the freedoms we inherit today.

Remember the courage. Honor the sacrifice. Preserve the history.

10/17/2026

YM CPL KNOTT & YM RCT COLLINS braved the foul weather and represented the Anne Arundel Young Marines at the DDR Dash in Quantico VA. Ooh rah pups!

10/15/2026

⚓🇺🇸 HAPPY 251ST BIRTHDAY, UNITED STATES NAVY! 🇺🇸⚓

On October 13, 1775, the Continental Congress laid the foundation for what would become the United States Navy.

For 251 years, the brave men and women of the U.S. Navy have answered the call to serve, defending our freedoms, protecting our nation, and demonstrating unwavering courage and commitment across the world's oceans.

The Anne Arundel Young Marines proudly salute all Navy Sailors, past and present, for their dedication, sacrifice, and honorable service.

Fair Winds and Following Seas!

⚓ Semper Fortis — Always Strong! ⚓

10/13/2026

🇺🇸 HONORING OUR HEROES — ANSWERING THE CALL! 🇺🇸

A last-minute notification of an arriving Honor Flight didn't stop the Anne Arundel Young Marines from answering the call to honor our nation's veterans!

YM LCpl Southward proudly represented our unit, personally presenting 10 veterans with challenge coins as a small token of gratitude for their service and sacrifice.

But the evening was about much more than presentations and handshakes. YM LCpl Southward had the privilege of sharing dinner with these American heroes, engaging in meaningful conversations, listening to their stories, and learning firsthand from those who served our country.

Sometimes the most memorable lessons don't happen in a classroom or on a drill field. They happen across a dinner table, in conversations between generations.

We are incredibly proud of YM LCpl Southward for stepping up on short notice and demonstrating what it truly means to be a Young Marine.

🇺🇸 Honoring Veterans. Preserving History. Inspiring the Next Generation.