Young Marines Volunteer Honored With National Red Ribbon Award

Young Marines Unit Commander Keagan Miller of the Miami Valley Young Marines has been honored with the Enrique Camarena Red Ribbon Award from the National Family Partnership, the nonprofit responsible for the national Red Ribbon Week campaign.

The award is given annually to recognize a person who has made significant contributions in the field of drug prevention, and who personifies Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Enrique Camarena’s belief that one person can make a difference.

Agent Camarena was tortured and killed in Mexico in 1985. His sacrifice serves as a catalyst to encourage others to make a commitment to eradicating drug abuse from homes, schools, communities, and the nation.

“When I found out I had won the award I was very honored,” Miller said. “Making a difference in the lives of others is a tough thing to gauge. I stick to my rule of doing what I think is right and hope for the best outcome from it.”

Miller began volunteering with the Young Marines twenty years ago. He has held many positions in the program, but he is best known for his work as the Unit Commander with the Miami Valley Young Marines and the Training Officer of the Midwest Division. He has enhanced the drug prevention platform by completing nearly 500 Drug Demand Reduction (DDR) education hours, which he has used to amplify the Young Marines’ vigorous DDR efforts.

He has integrated his unit into the local community to create many partnerships for drug prevention. The Miami Valley Young Marines works consistently with the Montgomery County Drug-Free Coalition, the Drug Enforcement Administration 360 (DEA), Families of Addicts, and local law enforcement.

Miller spearheaded the development of drug prevention education videos that are used throughout the Young Marines’ organization. He has motivated his youth members to lead virtual classes that are available to all Young Marines. In addition, he developed and hosted a nationwide virtual Healthy Drug-Free Lifestyle (HDF) Challenge at the beginning of the COVID–19 pandemic and on January 31, 2021 launched the challenge for the second year.

Miller’s creativity has generated success for many prevention organizations as well as for the Young Marines. Under his leadership, Miami Valley Young Marines has been recognized twice by the Department of Defense (DOD) and received the Fulcrum Shield Award in 2017 and again in 2019.

“The Miami Valley Young Marines, led by Keagan Miller, is one of the most recognized units for drug prevention throughout the entire Young Marines organization,” said Col William P. Davis USMC (Ret), national executive director and CEO of the Young Marines. “Keagan is a remarkable leader in the prevention field. We heartily congratulate him for the vitally important difference he is making.”

The Miami Valley Young Marines was founded in 1998 as the Dayton Young Marines. The name was changed in 2003 to encompass communities in all 13 counties in the Miami Valley area. The unit has 30 youth members and 12 registered adult leaders.

For more information about the Miami Valley Young Marines, visit https://miamivalleyyoungmarines.com/

About the National Family Partnership

The National Family Partnership (NFP) was founded in 1980 as a grassroots, nonprofit organization by a handful of concerned and determined parents who were convinced they should play a leadership role in drug prevention. Today, NFP is a national leader in drug prevention education and advocacy.

About the Young Marines

The Young Marines, based in Prince William County, is a national non-profit 501(c)(3) youth education and service program for boys and girls, age eight through the completion of high school. The Young Marines promote the mental, moral, and physical development of its members. The program focuses on teaching the values of leadership, teamwork, and self-discipline, so its members can live and promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.

Since the Young Marines’ humble beginnings in 1959 with one unit and a handful of boys, the organization has grown to over 235 units with 8,000 youth and 2,500 adult volunteers in 40 states, the District of Columbia, Japan, and affiliates in a host of other countries.

For more information, visit the official website at https://www.youngmarines.com.