La. Guard’s Youth Challenge Program Acclimation Graduation marks launch of 30th anniversary cycle
By Staff Sgt. Noshoba Davis, Louisiana National Guard Public Affairs Office
PINEVILLE, La. – The December graduation of Louisiana National Guard’s Youth Challenge Program Class 2024-1 at Louisiana National Guard Training Center Pineville will mark the 30th year of LANG’s premier YCP program.
Over the next few months, YCP will be hosting several events to celebrate the program’s 30-years anniversary and its successes.
The first event hosted by the Pineville YCP was the acclimation graduation on July 26 at Louisiana National Guard Training Center Pineville.
Brig. Gen. Jason Mahfouz, assistant adjutant general – Army of Louisiana, presided over the ceremony and commended the cadets on their commitment and choice to attend YCP to better their future.
“First, congratulations on making it through the first two weeks of this program and earning your one-star promotion,” said Mahfouz. “This milestone, along with those that follow in the coming months, is part of the traditions that have been developed over the past three decades of this program.”
The acclimation graduation is the first milestone for cadets attending YCP. It marks the end of the pre-challenge residential phase (acclimation) and the transition of candidates to one-star cadets. This graduation leads into a 20-week residential phase, followed by a 12-month post residential phase.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Wade Furniss, program director of YCP at LANG TCP, congratulated the cadets for their hard work during the first two weeks and explained that the trials faced at YCP are an opportunity to build on who they are.
“I want you to think about what it felt like on day one when you arrived, and now think about what you have, how you’re feeling today, what you’ve been able to accomplish and what you have learned,” said Furniss. “Candidates, as you move over to cadets, I know that you’re nervous. I know that you’re worried about what’s going to happen when you get to school, but I promise you it will be a different experience, and I promise that if you trust the process and finish it out, you will be a better you. You’ll be amazed when you look at yourself in the mirror and see how proud you and your family will be. So don’t give up.”
During the ceremony, each platoon received its platoon guidon through a presentation similar to the Army’s tradition of passing the organizational colors.
LANG YCP is an alternative education program offering 16-18-year-old adolescents an opportunity to change their future by learning teamwork, personal growth and development through eight core components: life coping skills, academic excellence, job skills, responsible citizenship, leadership/followership, health and hygiene, service to community and physical fitness.