By Rebecca Barnes, Publisher, Prince William Living
The Manassas Young Marines received not one but two nominations for the 2026 Prince William Living Giving Back Award, and both nominations came from people who see the organization from different perspectives.
Daniel Steadman nominated the organization as the parent of a Young Marine, while Gloria Ramos, an adjutant with the Manassas unit, submitted a separate nomination. Both described an organization that gives young people opportunities to serve their community while developing confidence, discipline, teamwork, and leadership skills they can carry into adulthood.
“The Manassas Young Marines truly deserve the Prince William Living Giving Back Award because they don’t just serve the community; they train the next generation to lead it,” Steadman wrote in his nomination.
Learning Leadership by Doing It
The Young Marines is a national youth education and service program for boys and girls from age 8 through high school graduation. The program promotes leadership, teamwork, self-discipline, good citizenship, community service, physical fitness, and a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.
The Manassas Young Marines put those lessons into practice throughout our community. Members perform color guard duties, participate in parades and community cleanups, volunteer at veterans events, take part in Wreaths Across America, and work with local veterans organizations, including Robert V. McMaugh Memorial American Legion Post 10.
Ramos said members also learn field skills, drill, map-and-compass skills, and other activities that require them to work together, stay focused, and solve problems. She has watched those experiences help young people become more confident and comfortable taking on responsibility.
“It helps them learn discipline, leadership and teamwork,” Ramos wrote, adding that the program also helps “boost confidence in the youth.”
Those are lessons that are difficult to teach through a lecture. Young Marines have opportunities to practice them while doing something useful for someone else.
Young People Encouraging Their Peers
Drug prevention is also a major part of the Young Marines mission, and this is an area where the Manassas unit has earned national recognition.
Through Red Ribbon Week and other Drug Demand Reduction activities, Young Marines talk with other young people about making healthy choices and remaining drug-free. Steadman reported that the unit’s outreach and partnerships with schools, law enforcement, veterans organizations, and other community groups have helped it reach more than 30,000 children, parents, and community members.
There is value in adults talking with children about drugs and healthy choices, but there is also something powerful about young people being willing to have those conversations with their own peers. The Manassas Young Marines aren’t simply learning the message themselves. They are taking responsibility for sharing it.
In 2026, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration recognized the Manassas Young Marines as the Division 1 recipient of the Enrique “Kiki” Camarena Award for its drug prevention efforts. The award recognizes Young Marines units for their work in drug prevention and resistance education, including peer-to-peer role modeling.
The unit has been recognized for this work before. In 2020, the Manassas Young Marines received the Department of Defense Fulcrum Shield Award for excellence in youth anti-drug programs.
A Connection With Local Veterans
Both Steadman and Ramos also talked about the unit’s service to veterans, which has been an important part of the Manassas Young Marines experience for many years.
Members participate in color guards, veterans appreciation events, Wreaths Across America, and activities with American Legion Post 10. These experiences give young people an opportunity to spend time with veterans, learn about their experiences, and understand the meaning behind ceremonies and traditions they might otherwise encounter only in a history lesson or at a community event.
The relationship between the Manassas Young Marines and the military community goes back many years. In 2008, members of the unit visited Marine Barracks Washington, where the U.S. Marine Corps Color Guard worked with them on ceremonial drill.
For young people learning about service and citizenship, meeting the people who served before them puts a face and a story behind those words.
A Big Year for the Manassas Unit
The Manassas Young Marines have had plenty to celebrate in 2026. In addition to receiving the DEA’s Enrique “Kiki” Camarena Award, the unit was named the Division 1 Young Marines Unit of the Year, recognizing it as the top unit in its division.
The Manassas City Council also recognized the unit for the accomplishment.
Ramos pointed to that recognition in her nomination, but she also made an observation that parents of teenagers may especially appreciate. The members “strive to be the best of the best and still have fun while doing it,” she wrote.
That balance is important. These young people are learning discipline and responsibility, but they are also making friends, traveling, participating in events, learning new skills, and sharing experiences with young people from different backgrounds and communities.
Steadman sees the results from a parent’s perspective. He said the experience helps members develop “lasting confidence, core values, and leadership skills” that stay with them as they move on to college, civilian careers, military service, and other paths.
Two Nominations With a Common Message
Receiving two Giving Back Award nominations gives us an opportunity to hear about the Manassas Young Marines from two sides of the organization.
As a parent, Steadman sees what the program gives his child and other young members. As an adjutant, Ramos sees the work that members are doing and the changes that happen as young people become more confident and capable.
Their nominations also make an important point about giving back. Community service isn’t something that has to wait until adulthood.
Young people can honor veterans, clean up their neighborhoods, participate in civic events, encourage their peers to make healthy choices, and give their time to others. Along the way, they learn that being part of a community also means accepting some responsibility for making it better.
Ramos described the Manassas Young Marines as a “pillar for many young Americans to live a healthy and drug-free life.” Steadman believes the organization is helping make our neighborhoods safer and healthier while shaping “today’s kids into tomorrow’s selfless leaders.”
For the Manassas Young Marines, those two things happen at the same time. While they are serving our community today, they are learning how to lead it tomorrow.
Which Nonprofit Deserves the Giving Back Award?
The Manassas Young Marines is one of the organizations nominated for the Prince William Living and Give Back Prince William Giving Back Award. Prince William recognizes nonprofits making a difference throughout Prince William County, Manassas, and Manassas Park.
Do you know a nonprofit doing work our community should know about? Nominate your favorite Prince William nonprofit for the Giving Back Award. Tell us who they are, what they are doing, and why their work matters. Your nomination gives us another opportunity to introduce our readers to the people and organizations working to improve quality of life in our community.
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