Calvert-Napolitano Amendment Supporting the National Guard Youth Challenge Program Approved by House

Yesterday, an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), sponsored by Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42) and Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (CA-32), supporting the National Guard Youth Challenge program was approved by the House of Representatives. The amendment will facilitate the establishment of a National Guard Youth Challenge program in Riverside County at the Naval Operational Support Center (NOSC) Moreno Valley located at March Air Reserve Base.

"The National Guard Youth Challenge program is a terrific opportunity to help at-risk youth at an important time in their lives," said Rep. Calvert. "I'm proud to play a small role in bringing the Challenge program to Riverside County and March Air Reserve Base. I want to thank my friend and colleague, Rep. Napolitano, for her work on this important issue."

The mission of the National Guard Youth Challenge program is to intervene in and reclaim the lives of at-risk youth to produce program graduates with the values, skills, education and self-discipline necessary to succeed as adults. The Challenge program accomplishes this by:

• Providing a safe, structured environment that promotes academic achievement.
• Developing leadership traits, which improve self-esteem, pride, and personal confidence.
• Teaching life skills that will benefit young men and women in the adult working world (such as budgeting, personal hygiene, punctuality, teamwork, responsibility, and cooperation).

The Moreno Valley Navy Operation Support Center (NOSC) is the most appropriate facility to be used to establish a National Guard Youth Challenge program in Riverside County. However, current U.S. law prevents the facility, when it is expected to be declared excess by the Navy in two years, to be transferred to the National Guard to be used for the Youth Challenge Program.

The Calvert-Napolitano amendment provides the necessary legislative fix by permitting excess federal military installations to be transferred to the National Guard for use by the State's National Guard to support a Youth Challenge program.

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