Photo By 1st Sgt. Daryl Madrid | Boy Scouts from Troop 435 participated in a three-day, two-night camping and hiking...... read more read more
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U.S. NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba – Energetic boys scramble in and out of the scout hut grabbing their gear and wondering if there was anything they might have forgotten. The truck is loaded high above the top of the bed; they are ready to start their fun-filled weekend along the Cuban border.
Boy Scouts with Troop 435 from U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, along with their leaders and volunteers from Joint Task Force Guantanamo participated in a three-day, two-night camping trip and hike to South Toro Cay Feb. 27 to March 1 to work on advancements, strengthen troop cohesion and have some fun.
Marine Corps Security Force Company personnel escorted the scouts to the Northeast Gate, which was the starting point of their 3.5-mile hike along the fence line between NAVSTA and Cuba. It was a hot and humid afternoon, but the boys' spirits remained high as they walked the fence line to their campsite.
“I help them go through their steps, I help new Scouts with opportunities to rank up and I also watch over the boys and help the other leaders,” said Marshall Ellis, the senior patrol leader for Troop 435.
A few of the boys needed to work on their cooking merit badge, so they planned the meals for the weekend, bought food from the Navy Exchange and prepared meals for the other boys in the troop. English muffin pizzas, cooked over an open flame were a big hit with the Scouts.
“For this campout, we are helping the newer Scouts with getting the Scout Badge, their Totin’ Chip and Firem'n Chit,” Ellis said.
These certifications, along with the proper supervised training, grant a Boy Scout the right to carry and use wood tools and the right to carry matches and build campfires.
The morning of Feb. 28 came early as the boys cooked pigs in a blanket with charcoal briquettes in an oven they made from a printing paper box, aluminum foil and wire.
“We are also working on our camp gadget, and we want to be able to have some fun while working on advancements,” Ellis said.
A “camp gadget” is something made from items found at the campsite and items packed in with them. They chose to construct a lean-to, so that they could learn lashing skills and have shade from the hot afternoon sun. They lashed sticks together and secured tarps to the structure, which helped some of the newer Scouts work on requirements for advancement.
After eating sandwiches in the shade of their lean-tos, the Scouts headed off on another hike to Commandant’s Hill, the sight of an abandoned water reservoir and a Marine guard tower. The boys enjoyed the views and were given a chance to see into Cuba from their vantage point on top of the hill.
The campout concluded March 1 with another 3.5-mile hike back to the Northeast Gate stopping off at Commandant Hill for one last look into Cuba, and then home.
| Date Taken: | 03.13.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 04.16.2015 14:14 |
| Story ID: | 160200 |
| Location: | GUANTANAMO BAY, CU |
| Web Views: | 128 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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