CRESTVIEW — Division Three of the Young Marines' Drug Demand Reduction Program has earned a prestigious honor.
The division, which includes Crestview's Emerald Coast unit, won the Department of Defense's 2014 Annual Fulcrum Shield Award for Excellence in Youth Anti-Drug Education.
The Young Marines, supervised by adult volunteers, are responsible for creating, designing and executing viable anti-drug programs tailored to each community. Members decide the best strategies for peer education while considering drug abuse trends in each town or city.
Unit commanders throughout the division agreed to combine efforts into one drug awareness program. Division Three encompasses 55 Young Marines units in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
More than 600 Division Three Young Marines volunteered more than 3,670 hours, reaching 3,775 local organizations including schools, scouting organizations, church groups and youth organizations. In addition, 260 registered adults volunteered more than 2,680 hours.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Young Marines' 3rd Division recognized for anti-drug programs