MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT/EASTERN RECRUITING REGION PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. ? -- Twelve teenagers from the Beaufort County Boy's and Girl's Club spent the afternoon of Aug. 2 touring the depot and observing numerous training events including pugil sticks, rappelling and graduation.
Guiding them through their daylong Marine Corps journey were 1st Lt. Amy O'Donnell, the Headquarters and Service Battalion S-3 officer, and Sgt. Timothy C. Tinajero, a Beaufort County Marine Corps recruiter.
Although Tinajero is a recruiter, the teenagers' visit wasn't about getting them to sign a contract.
"It wasn't about recruiting these kids," said Tinajero, a St. Louis, Mo., native.
"The whole point was to try and show these kids a positive influence. A lot of them come from poor neighborhoods so coming here is definitely a positive influence on them."
O'Donnell, who organized the tour, got the idea for the visit while she was volunteering at the Boy's and Girl's Club.
"A couple of months ago I mentioned something about a visit to the director of the Boy's and Girl's Club," said O'Donnell, who has been a volunteer with the club since November. "He was very excited about the idea."
O'Donnell, who was excited herself about the visit, agreed with Tinajero that this trip had everything to do with helping the local community and nothing to do with recruiting.
"I wasn't using this as a 'Hey come join the Marine Corps trip,'" said O' Donnell. "I just wanted to show them there was something else out there, especially in their own backyard, that they can do with their lives."
According to Tinajero, a few of the teenagers did express interest in joining the Marine Corps after seeing the many aspects of recruit training up close and personnel.
"Even though they have many years to go, many of them expressed interest," said Tinajero. "Now all they have to do is stay out of trouble, concentrate on their schoolwork and stay away from drugs."