Mission to Remain Drug Free Accepted by Falls Church Students

LOCATION: Quantico
DATE: March 3, 2006
TIME: 10.00 hours
MISSION: To make a public pledge to remain drug free.

Thirty students from Corpus Christi School in Falls Church accepted this mission by signing red ribbons for new special agent graduates of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The students participated in the graduation ceremony of Class No. 172, where more than 40 new special agents received their credentials, including their badge and a red ribbon, from one of the students.
The red ribbons were signed by the student as a pledge that they will stay drug free. The ceremony is meaningful for the agents who underwent 17 weeks of strenuous training to keep drugs away from children. It is also meaningful for the children, who see so many people agree that drugs are no good.
Karen P. Tandy, DEA administrator, visited the school last October to give a presentation for red ribbon week. As part of her talk, the students were encouraged to sign red ribbons as a pledge that they would remain drug free.
Instead of just sending the ribbons off, the DEA invited the sixth- through eighth-grade students to be part of the graduation ceremony.
The students arrived at the Quantico base and were treated as honored guests. They were greeted by John McCarty, special agent in charge and master of ceremonies, who explained their special role. After the new special agents received their badges, they would receive a red ribbon from one of the students.
During the ceremony, the Corpus Christi students were singled out several times and applauded for their participation and their pledge to be drug free. Also in attendance were the family members of Shaun E. Curl, a special agent who was killed in 1997 in the line of duty. Class No. 172 dedicated their work to this fallen colleague.
Tandy thanked the Corpus Christi students for their presence at the ceremony, and she shared several of her experiences from her visit last fall. She explained that when some of the children realized that their red ribbons would be given to agents, many kissed the ribbon before giving it away.
At the end of the ceremony, there was a video presentation of Class No. 172’s training. Eighth-graders Laura Quintero and Jazzy Berona thought it was “neat” to see what the agents did.
According to Brian Stine, one of the group’s guides, there is a graduation about once a month. For each ceremony, the DEA tries to host groups, especially children, to come and be a part of it.
“It helps ingrain in their minds that it’s cool to not use drugs,” he said, adding that the students will hopefully leave with a sense of patriotism as well.
The students received gift bags from the DEA, which included hats, highlighters and mouse pads. The young guests were escorted to lunch, where they were joined by several DEA agents-in-training.
Sixth-graders Mary Katelyn Koszycki and Elisabeth Smith enjoyed this time and said the agents explained how the training facility has mock cities where they can practice running drug searches.
Special Agent Rodney Adams led the students on a tour of the DEA facility including several classrooms. One classroom was prepared for international dialogue with equipment for interpreters.
Adams explained how the classes are recorded and played in the dormitory. That way if an agent gets sick or injured, they don’t miss any classes. There is also a wall of honor where the names of fallen agents are listed.
The children toured the firearms facility as well. According to Bradly Sosnowsky, special agent firearms instructor, the agents have 27 sessions with fire arms, each lasting up to five hours. At the halfway point in their training, they must qualify by attaining at least 70 percent accuracy in shooting.
Using guns that could not be fired, the students were shown how to hold and aim the weapons. They also held large shields and wore the headsets used to protect their ears.
Sixth-graders Ashley Ninteman and Monica Zakarin enjoyed the buffet-style lunch and the shooting range. Eighth-grader Michael Kruczkowski thought it was cool to shake the agent’s hand when he gave him the ribbon.