Will taking sanctuary at a Military School help our troubled teens?

COL Mikel J. Burroughs — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 11:35:11 -0400

Taking Sanctuary at a Military School will this help our troubled teens?

RP Members with all the recent shootings at schools could this be a fix?

Sometimes, rigor, structure, and healthy habits are what it takes to get a struggling teen back on track. But will the impact disappear once graduates reenter the outside world?

http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/10/grizzly-school-military-discipline/409645/

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.—For the first-time spectator, the commencement ceremony for Grizzly Youth Academy probably looks strange. The students are wearing gray uniforms instead of graduation gowns, and they’re following their flag-bearing platoon leader across a parking lot, marching in cadence, instead of following a teacher across a lawn in perfect silence. Grizzly is a public charter boarding school that, along with another three dozen or so institutions participating in the National Guard’s Youth ChalleNGe Program, uses a “quasi-military” style of discipline to help students with a history of failure at traditional schools. After 22 weeks of classes, the “cadets” commemorate their accomplishments by parading in formation, doing synchronized push-ups, and shouting out to their family members.

The Potential of a ‘Quasi-Military’ School

Sometimes, rigor, structure, and healthy habits are what it takes to get a struggling teen back on track. But will the impact disappear once graduates reenter the outside world?  

Response by Maj Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 10 at 2015 11:39 AM

Maj Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 11:39:14 -0400

I think that it's a double edged sword. Yes, kids need discipline and order. Military school are a great way to get those. The downside I have seen from several service academy grads is that once they have freedom they don't know how to control themselves.

Response by Maj Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 10 at 2015 11:40 AM

Maj Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 11:40:50 -0400

A program that lasts 22 weeks or so for teens with a military style environment seems like a great thing, especially for troubled teens in desperate need of a role model.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Oct 10 at 2015 11:43 AM

Capt Seid Waddell — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 11:43:03 -0400

Could it be worse than the track they were on?

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Oct 10 at 2015 11:46 AM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 11:46:09 -0400

Sounds like an Idea worth a try. I'm all for trying something at least once. My only experience was the Wayward Youth Center for Boys in Pensacola that they put it in the middle of the Base at Corry Station. No real discipline that I could see just more Industrial Housing of troubled teens.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Oct 10 at 2015 12:03 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 12:03:06 -0400

This intervention is a huge need, as much of the youth do not care about their behavior at home or in society. This is a good investment.

Response by Sgt Kelli Mays made Oct 10 at 2015 12:23 PM

Sgt Kelli Mays — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 12:23:35 -0400

I believe it will help some of them, but not all of them...but it certainly is a GREAT avenue to try and get them back onto the right path.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 10 at 2015 12:29 PM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 12:29:59 -0400

This can be very beneficial. I have heard many success stories of troubled 18 year olds joining the military and turning their lives around. There's no reason this couldn't happen and 15 or 16 instead. Of course success is never guaranteed, and as you imply/mention, some will seem to be on track and later falter. Overall there is a positive to be gained.

Response by SMSgt Tony Barnes made Oct 10 at 2015 12:43 PM

SMSgt Tony Barnes — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 12:43:28 -0400

It would certainly teach them life skills many us learned through the military. But we must remember the lesson from the Army's lowering of standards in 03...when you recruit thugs and gang bangers...you wnd up with soldiers who are thugs and gang bangers.

Response by COL Ted Mc made Oct 10 at 2015 1:00 PM

COL Ted Mc — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 13:00:02 -0400

COL Mikel J. Burroughs - Mikel; The obvious response is "Some it will help, some it will not help, and some it will hurt.".

The supporters of the idea will look at the success stories and ignore the other two categories. The detractors will look at the failures and ignore the other two categories.

Personally I think that the idea has merit, judiciously applied. I also think that 22 weeks is much too short a time to turn 16 years of dys-socializing around.

I'm also not sure that a simple "time limited" program will actually give the participants any incentive to anything other than "stay alive" for the length of the program. Now if the program were NOT "time limited" and the participants actually had to achieve measurable (and progressively more challenging) goals for reliability and deportment I'd be much more willing to see that the program was valuable.

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Oct 10 at 2015 1:04 PM

MCPO Roger Collins — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 13:04:38 -0400

How many people went through the program and what is the recidivism rate?

Response by CW4 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 10 at 2015 3:53 PM

CW4 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 15:53:50 -0400

COL Mikel J. Burroughs, it reminds me of the old cadence "go to war or go to jail." I know a few guys who participated in juvenile Military rehab programs growing up during junior high and Highschool and they ended up turning their lives around for the best. The same for the active duty military, I've served with many people that the Army was their only option to escape a life of crime and hardship and they ended up succeeding and making a better life for themselves.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Oct 10 at 2015 4:09 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 16:09:46 -0400

I'm tempted to say a spell in military school couldn't hurt, but then again, maybe it could. Throwing adolescents into a highly structured and disciplined environment may only serve to harden them. From what I've read a child's proclivities are bred into them. They are then molded by their first two years of life. After that it is extremely difficult to reverse direction. Thus, it would seem that we need to tend more carefully to early care. Adolescence may be too late.

I was reminded of this recently in a video produced by political commentator Bill Whittle when he observed that most criminals are the product of homes without fathers or, where fathers are "present", they are abusive or absent themselves at least emotionally if not physically. It's on my to do list to confirm or repudiate this claim.

Whittle also excoriates those on the left for attempting to place the blame elsewhere, thus protecting their investment in the creation and maintenance of nontraditional homes. Here, watch the video and tell me what you think...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwLjFm6GMBM

It's the Steel: Bill Whittle's Solution to Gun Control

In the aftermath of more mass shootings, Bill Whittle tackles gun control, rebutting progressives call for stricter measures.

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Oct 10 at 2015 6:00 PM

SFC Mark Merino — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 18:00:40 -0400

I think it has short term rewards but it seems like too little too late. People are really motivated to get out of jail and the program has a high success rate. If Lockup taught me anything, it is that kids have about an extra year before they are right back in the pokey as opposed to those who just get released without the program. I just don't see 16 years of delinquency being completely changed in 22 weeks. It does seem like a way to keep the juvenile incarceration overpopulation problem down.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 10 at 2015 6:56 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 18:56:16 -0400

I worked at a military structured charter school in Oregon as a Physical training and military science instructor. The program from my experience works very well. The majority of staff were veterans and helped mentor the cadets. The only issue is funding from what I saw.

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 10 at 2015 10:46 PM

Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 22:46:47 -0400

Not trying to be the detractor I think it may be a good idea for some who have a mindset to unscrew the cap off. For some it won't do a thing.

From my experiences. I went to New Mexico Military institute for a year to prep for a service academy, which I ended up not pursuing. NMMI was an interesting environment, in that it had a high school and a junior college.

When I started I had a team leader who was a sophomore in high school. Oddly enough he had potential. For a young kid he demonstrated exceptional leadership for someone of his age. Oddly enough he had some hidden issues. Back in 1997 two years prior to Columbine, he plotted to shoot the regimental staff and take out the commandant. He was arrested and expelled. Two years later he shot his father in the chest 18 times in Silver City NM. He went to prison for 5 years.

A year later I was platoon sgt, I had a high schooler who was at NMMI in lieu of a jail sentence. That kid was the most worthless on the planet. We tried everything we could to get him to be on board. But he fought us all the way, to finally getting expelled for indifference.

While I am not against the idea of getting some kids to recognize a potential. Some have issues beyond life skills and need professional help that a military environment will never provide.

Response by SSG David McPherson made Oct 11 at 2015 2:32 AM

SSG David McPherson — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 02:32:21 -0400

No this,won't help our troubled teens, it starts with those dumas parents who,don't expose their Cady ass kiss to things they should have been exposed to, to suck up Sally to,stay,way from conger cause,they don't want,what,she got's

Response by PO1 John Miller made Oct 13 at 2015 6:43 AM

PO1 John Miller — Tue, 13 Oct 2015 06:43:19 -0400

This could be a step in the right direction, but I think real intervention begins at home and elementary school.
Stop the "time outs" and start physically disciplining children again (when called for; no spankings for accidentally dropping a dinner plate) and stop giving participation trophies/not keeping score in children's sports games.

Response by SMSgt Lawrence McCarter made Oct 7 at 2016 2:28 AM

SMSgt Lawrence McCarter — Fri, 07 Oct 2016 02:28:58 -0400

Another alternative may be a Cadet program within the Civil Air Patrol, CAP which is the official Auxiliary of the US Air Force. This program exist in all 50 states plus Washington DC and also in Puerto Rico plus some overseas locations. It is on par level with Air Force JROTC program, This picture is of some CAP Cadets in Colorado. This helps develop Military and leadership skills in our young people. The cadet wear an Air Force uniform with distinctive insignia that shows they are CAP cadets. Units meet once a week minimum then have a two week encampment at a Military Base in the Summer months. Most the local CAP units are Squadrons which may be assigned to Groups under Wing Headquarters , the same structure as USAF units. This is not however a program for youth who have problems with discipline, The program also includes work with Air search and Rescue Missions that have been authorized by the US Air Force.

Response by SrA Edward Vong made Oct 7 at 2016 8:14 AM

SrA Edward Vong — Fri, 07 Oct 2016 08:14:14 -0400

It helps some not others. It doesn't really hurt to try. I think many trouble teens not only need discipline in their life, but something for them to look forward to in the future. Many troubled teens are a result of bad living conditions, bad family life, (or in my case good family life and I wanted out).

Response by SP5 Mark Kuzinski made Oct 7 at 2016 12:56 PM

SP5 Mark Kuzinski — Fri, 07 Oct 2016 12:56:56 -0400

I can see where a structure like this can help many teens. Structure is always good if use in the right way COL Mikel J. Burroughs and this type structure is what many, many teens need today.

Response by Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen made Oct 7 at 2016 3:18 PM

Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen — Fri, 07 Oct 2016 15:18:21 -0400

After scanning the comments, I think people need to realize that there is a vast difference between a military school and a 10 - 12 week military oriented training program. To answer the question, I do think that a true military school that teens attend from say Sept to June for a 4 year period can be a benefit to those who do not come from a structured environment. They are exposed to the same type of environment that we all saw in the military, plus they are in an educational system that is more than likely superior to public school systems where they came from. Their peers are probably more inclined to succeed as well. All this leads to what we like to refer to as a well rounded student who is more likely to succeed in post academic life.