Lt Alexander Bonnyman Unit News
We are pleased to announce that Young Marine (YM) MSgt Robert McNutt was selected in August 2011 as the Unit Young Marine of the Year (YMOY) for the Lt. Alexander Bonnyman Unit. In addition, at the TN Regiment Encampment over the 2011 Labor Day weekend, he was selected as the 2nd Battalion YMOY and as the TN Regiment YMOY. As the TN Regiment YMOY, he will compete with the YMOY from the other regiments in the division to be selected as the 3rd Division YMOY. That selection should be made in December 2011.
YM MSgt McNutt joined the Young Marines in the spring of 2003. Since that time, he has been very active in the unit, participating in virtually all our activities from regular drills to unit trips and community service projects. He steadily rose through the ranks, eventually being appointed to the billet of Unit First Sergeant, where he served with distinction for a year and a half. He has served as a Young Marine Instructor for our last three YM Recruit Classes and was the Senior Young Marine Instructor for the 2010 Recruit Class. He has graduated from YM Junior Leadership School (JLS), Senior Leadership School (SLS), and Advanced Leadership School (ALS). He also has served on the YM staff at a number of local Junior and Senior Leadership Schools. In July 2011, he served ably as the Acting YM Regimental Sergeant Major for the TN Regiment JLS/SLS.
YM MSgt McNutt has met the requirements to allow him to wear numerous Young Marine ribbons, including many with devices demonstrating multiple awards. His ribbon awards range from good conduct and perfect attendance ribbons to the Young Marine Personal Achievement Award issued by YM TN Regimental Commander David Assfalg in 2011 for his performance at the Regimental JLS/SLS. A few of his other ribbon awards are ribbons for Academic Achievement, Physical Fitness (two perfect PFT scores of 500), Drill Team Competition, CPR, Color Guard, Organized Unit Trips (6 awards), Veterans Appreciation, Swimming and Drug Demand Reduction.
YM MSgt McNutt is a junior at South Doyle High School with a 3.6 GPA. He is the son of Vicki and Dan McNutt.
YM MGySgt Benjamin Brott with his parents and younger brother at the Adult Leader Conference
Melissa & Kevin Brott, Sam
In December 2010, YM MGySgt Benjamin Brott from our unit was selected as the Young Marine of the Year for the 3rd YM Division. As one of the six Division Young Marines of the Year, he was in contention for National Young Marine of the Year. He and his family attended the Adult Leaders Conference in Charlotte, NC in May 2011 when the selection was made. However, at that conference, YM MSgt Alyssa Cadena, from the Heart of Texas Unit, was selected as the National Young Marine of the Year. We are still very proud of YM Brott, who will be the YM Sergeant Major at this summer's YM National Leadership Academy at Camp Pickett, VA.
I have also attached two pictures to go along with the article - one is of YM Brott and me at the Adult Leadership Conference and the other is of YM Brott, his mother and father (Melissa and Kevin Brott) and his younger brother Sam at the conference.
YM MGySgt Benjamin Brott with Unit Commander Virgil L. Young, Jr. at the Adult Leader Conference
In early October 2010, YM Master Gunnery Sergeant (MGySgt) Benjamin Brott was selected by the YM Tennessee Regiment Commander as the Regiment’s Young Marine of the Year (YMOY) and will now compete with other Regimental Young Marines of the Year to become the 3rd Division YMOY.
YM MGySgt Brott joined the Young Marines in 2004 and has been an active member of the unit since that time, participating in regular drills, unit trips, and numerous other occasions such as color guard presentations, Memorial Day services, community service projects, and fund-raising activities. He served as a Young Marine Recruit Instructor for four of our recent Recruit Classes, and was senior instructor for two of them. He steadily earned promotions and rose through the ranks until July 2009 when he was promoted to become the first YM ever to reach the rank of YM MGySgt in our unit. He is currently serving in the billet of Unit YM Sergeant Major.
YM MGySgt Brott has graduated from YM Junior Leadership School (JLS), Senior Leadership School (SLS), and Advanced Leadership School (ALS). In 2009, he was selected for and served as the YM 1st Sergeant, the second-highest YM staff position, at the 2009 National Leadership Academy at Camp Pendleton, CA. In addition, he also has served on the YM staff at a number of local JLS/SLS classes, both within the 3rd Division and outside the division. In 2009, he served as the YM Regimental Sergeant Major for the TN Regiment JLS. As part of the Army Cadet Exchange (ACE) Program, he spent from 18 July to 4 August 2010 in the Netherlands along with another Young Marine and a Registered Adult Leader.
YM MGySgt Brott has met the requirements to allow him to wear numerous Young Marine ribbons, including many with devices demonstrating multiple awards. His ribbon awards range from good conduct and perfect attendance ribbons to the Young Marine Commendation Award issued by the YM TN Regimental Commander in 2008. A few of his other ribbon awards are for Academic Achievement, Drill Team Competition, Outstanding Salesmanship, CPR, Color Guard, Veterans Appreciation, Swimming and Drug Demand Reduction.
YM MGYSgt Brott is a junior at the Webb School of Knoxville, where he maintains a high grade point average. He is an active member of the National Junior Honor Society and the Student Council, currently serving as the junior class vice president. In 2008, he was nominated by one of his middle school teachers to attend the National Young Leaders State Conference in the Mid-South Region held in Nashville, TN. He was also invited to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum on National Security in the spring of 2009. He keeps himself in excellent physical condition and has participated on his school’s basketball and baseball teams. He is currently on the cross country and climbing teams.
YM MGySgt Brott is also active in his church and in his community. He has served as an acolyte in his church, the Westminster Presbyterian Church, and his work in the church has included delivering food and visiting with shut-in church members as well as collecting, organizing and distributing food to the needy over the Thanksgiving holiday season. His other community service over the last few years has included working with kids who were victims of Hurricane Katrina and were relocated to the Knoxville area, working with the Empty Stocking Fund, helping with the Knoxville Stand Down for Homeless Veterans, placing flags on the graves of veterans on Veterans Day, working with the Knoxville Police Department (Bike Safety Fair, Family Fall Festival, Halloween in the City, and KPD Youth Leadership Council), volunteering at the Young Williams Animal Center, and collecting toys for the Toys for Tots Program. In 2008, he received the President’s Volunteer Service Award for his volunteer activities. In 2009, he received the Marine Corps League (MCL) Commendation award from the TN MCL Department Commandant for his service to the community.
59 out of the 62 recruits who started with the 2010 Recruit Class on 6 March graduated on 1 May 2010 to become Young Marines. The Guest of Honor at the graduation ceremony was SgtMaj David Hatfield, USMC (Ret.), the current head of the Marine Corps League's Department of Tennessee. The Overall Honor Recruit for the class was Ashlyn M. Capps.
