Stories

More than a dozen poolees with Recruiting Substation Woodbury help move furniture from the St. John Vianney Catholic Church to the Community of Saints School on July 25. An aspiring Marine discovered the school needed assistance, so he asked his recruiter if RSS Woodbury could help out before their Warrior Wednesday workout. - More than a dozen poolees with Recruiting Substation Woodbury help move furniture from the St. John Vianney Catholic Church to the Community of Saints School on July 25. An aspiring Marine discovered the school needed assistance, so he asked his recruiter if RSS Woodbury could help out before their Warrior Wednesday workout.

Recruiting Station Twin Cities Executive Officer Capt. Timothy O'Neil and Recruiting Substation Coon Rapids' Staff Sgt. Tyanna Tolson present Anastacio VandenBosch-Romo with an Excellence in Leadership Award at the Minneapolis Diamond Flight Camp July 22. Junior Rank coaches selected Romo to receive the award because he displayed great character and leadership throughout the camp. Romo, 16, will be a junior at Henry Sibley High School. - Recruiting Station Twin Cities Executive Officer Capt. Timothy O'Neil and Recruiting Substation Coon Rapids' Staff Sgt. Tyanna Tolson present Anastacio VandenBosch-Romo with an Excellence in Leadership Award at the Minneapolis Diamond Flight Camp July 22. Junior Rank coaches selected Romo to receive the award because he displayed great character and leadership throughout the camp. Romo, 16, will be a junior at Henry Sibley High School.

More than 85 men and women took the oath of enlistment at the 2012 Sioux Falls Airshow during a swear-in ceremony July 21-22. Sixteen enlisted into the Marine Corps out of Recruiting Station Twin Cities' Sioux Falls, S.D., office. - More than 85 men and women took the oath of enlistment at the 2012 Sioux Falls Airshow during a swear-in ceremony July 21-22. Sixteen enlisted into the Marine Corps out of Recruiting Station Twin Cities' Sioux Falls, S.D., office.

Alexander Stensland, Chase Ellis, Jake Turck, Andrew Morris, Sgt. Joshua Draveling and Joshua Mann prepare to remove debris after thunderstorms knocked down several trees. Marines and poolees with Recruiting Substation Burnsville recently volunteered to spend their weekend clearing broken branches and split tree trunks. - Alexander Stensland, Chase Ellis, Jake Turck, Andrew Morris, Sgt. Joshua Draveling and Joshua Mann prepare to remove debris after thunderstorms knocked down several trees. Marines and poolees with Recruiting Substation Burnsville recently volunteered to spend their weekend clearing broken branches and split tree trunks.

Recruiting Station Twin Cities Commanding Officer Maj. Kenneth Gawronski and Eau Claire, Wis., recruiter Sgt. Cody Stauner present Levi Nayes and Jacob Zwiefelhofer with a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps Scholarship during the Bloomer High School awards ceremony May 23. Ninety-seven students made up the Bloomer High School 2012 graduating class. Of those who qualified for the scholarship, 300 were accepted nation-wide. Only one other school in 9th Marine Corps District received two scholarships. - Recruiting Station Twin Cities Commanding Officer Maj. Kenneth Gawronski and Eau Claire, Wis., recruiter Sgt. Cody Stauner present Levi Nayes and Jacob Zwiefelhofer with a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps Scholarship during the Bloomer High School awards ceremony May 23. Ninety-seven students made up the Bloomer High School 2012 graduating class. Of those who qualified for the scholarship, 300 were accepted nation-wide. Only one other school in 9th Marine Corps District received two scholarships.

Woodbury, Minn., recruiter Sgt. Brandon Blazer, 27, from Dayton, Ohio, visits with Cathy and Gregg Patnode April 27 after their son, Luke, underwent reconstructive surgery. Luke is a 14-year-old eighth grader at Lake Middle School. Marines with Recruiting Station Twin Cities also visited Luke in 2010 after he suffered a major stroke. Luke's parents told Blazer that their son has wanted to join the Corps since he was a little kid. - Woodbury, Minn., recruiter Sgt. Brandon Blazer, 27, from Dayton, Ohio, visits with Cathy and Gregg Patnode April 27 after their son, Luke, underwent reconstructive surgery. Luke is a 14-year-old eighth grader at Lake Middle School. Marines with Recruiting Station Twin Cities also visited Luke in 2010 after he suffered a major stroke. Luke's parents told Blazer that their son has wanted to join the Corps since he was a little kid.

Recruiting Substation Burnsville's Patrick Massey, Sgt. Joshua Draveling, Andrew Morris, Jeremy Kaiser and Anna Albrecht set aside their hair nets for a few moments to take a photo during the Evergreen Community Church's Kids Against Hunger packing session April 14. Overall, 165 volunteers spent the day packaging more than 67,000 meals. - Recruiting Substation Burnsville's Patrick Massey, Sgt. Joshua Draveling, Andrew Morris, Jeremy Kaiser and Anna Albrecht set aside their hair nets for a few moments to take a photo during the Evergreen Community Church's Kids Against Hunger packing session April 14. Overall, 165 volunteers spent the day packaging more than 67,000 meals.

Sgt. Adam Kruse, 26, from Huron, S.D., receives a certificate March 9 from Stephanie Winkel, senior fitness coordinator at the Eagan, Minn., YMCA, for being named "Fittest Male." Kruse earned his new title by completing the YMCA Fitness Challenge with the fastest time. The fitness course consisted of three rounds of 21 kettle-bell swings, 15 push-ups and nine burpees, also known as bend-and-thrusts. Kruse, a recruiter out of the Woodbury, Minn., office, crossed the finish line in 2:26. - Sgt. Adam Kruse, 26, from Huron, S.D., receives a certificate March 9 from Stephanie Winkel, senior fitness coordinator at the Eagan, Minn., YMCA, for being named "Fittest Male." Kruse earned his new title by completing the YMCA Fitness Challenge with the fastest time. The fitness course consisted of three rounds of 21 kettle-bell swings, 15 push-ups and nine burpees, also known as bend-and-thrusts. Kruse, a recruiter out of the Woodbury, Minn., office, crossed the finish line in 2:26.

Recruiting Station Twin Cities Commanding Officer Maj. Kenneth Gawronski welcomed a new sergeant major when Sgt. Maj. James C. Kirkland (right) relinquished his post to Sgt. Maj. Sean P. Cox during a post and relief ceremony at the Fort Snelling Welcome Center March 9. - Recruiting Station Twin Cities Commanding Officer Maj. Kenneth Gawronski welcomed a new sergeant major when Sgt. Maj. James C. Kirkland (right) relinquished his post to Sgt. Maj. Sean P. Cox during a post and relief ceremony at the Fort Snelling Welcome Center March 9.

Former infantry officer Mike Jones, owner of CrossFit Minneapolis and CrossFit St. Paul, performs a snatch demonstration for Marines attending a three-day training seminar. More than 20 Marines with Recruiting Station Twin Cities attended the class to enhance fitness levels within the command. Jones, a Springfield, Va., native, served with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment. For additional imagery from the event, visit www.facebook.com/rstwincities. - Former infantry officer Mike Jones, owner of CrossFit Minneapolis and CrossFit St. Paul, performs a snatch demonstration for Marines attending a three-day training seminar. More than 20 Marines with Recruiting Station Twin Cities attended the class to enhance fitness levels within the command. Jones, a Springfield, Va., native, served with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment. For additional imagery from the event, visit www.facebook.com/rstwincities.