CRESTVIEW — Winning the Drug Enforcement Administration's Enrique "Kiki" Camarena Award is quite the feat, Emerald Coast Young Marines Unit Cmdr. Lynn Dominique says.
The local group is one of six units nationwide to win the award.
“This is obviously quite an honor, especially for a young unit that was formed back in 2010,” Dominique said.
The ECYM, which has 40 enlisted members, were within the top six young marine units to exemplify community drug abuse awareness and peer-to-peer role modeling.
In addition, the ECYM unit is No. 1 in the category for division three, which covers the country's southeastern portion.
The division, all together, has 55 young marine units, Dominique said.
“The biggest thing is that it's youth talking to other youth,” he said.
Dominique accepted the award, on behalf of the unit, during a Young Marines annual adult leaders conference June 5 in Washington D.C.
The award's namesake, Camarena, was a DEA special agent who was abducted and murdered in 1985 at age 37.
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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Drug abuse awareness award 'quite an honor,' unit commander says