INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Several teens enrolled in the Indian River County Sheriff’s Explorers program have returned from a weeklong boot camp in Tequesta, Fla., two of whom bring home the title of Top Gun.
“We’re all here for one goal,” said Patricia Arevalo, 19, who has spent the last three years as an Explorer. That goal is law enforcement.
Arevalo and 16-year-old Sam Mingear are two of five Top Guns out of the annual boot camp event. The other three are from other counties around Florida.
To make Top Gun, the teens had to be on point at all times, have an eye for meticulous detail and – of course – be a great shot.
“The entire week, we had to be perfect,” Mingear said, explaining that their laces had to be tucked in; the tie on their boonie hat had to be just so; their belt buckle lined up.
At the week’s end, the teens competed in a shooting challenge involving a Glock 17 pistol. They had to fire 30 shots from three clips into a human-sized target – each miss was a 10-second penalty. They had just 100 seconds to get it done.
They also competed in a sniper challenge – sprinting 100 yards, doing 10 pushups and 10 jumping jacks and then another sprint to their rifle, where they had to lay prone and fire three rounds into a target the size of a quarter 30 yards away.
“It’s not that far,” Minegar said with a smile.
The two teens look to Explorer graduate Jonathan Lozada as a role model and inspiration to keep going in the program.
On Monday, Lozada was sworn in as an Indian River County Sheriff’s Deputy.
“We’re very, very proud of Jonathan,” Sheriff Deryl Loar said at the start of the Explorers meeting Monday evening.
“The 2012 Law Enforcement Explorer Academy is a weeklong residential career education program providing Explorers with practical, hands-on law enforcement and life-skills training,” according to material provided by Explorers Lead Advisor Deputy Roberta Barker. “The academy is presented in a structured and highly disciplined environment, much like that found in police and military recruit training centers.”
Both Arevalo and Mingear have attended the boot camp multiple times, becoming stronger each time.
Arevalo has participated three times and noted that not only is she more physically strong, but she is also more secure in herself.
“I was more open,” she said, explaining that this time around, she was better able to talk to others.
It was an improvement over her first year.
“The first year was kind of scary,” Arevalo said.
For Mingear, this was his second boot camp and he spent more time doing extra pushups this time than during his first.
“The first year was great,” he said. “I had a smart team.”
Mingear explained that the team he was placed on this year had a few members who were a little slow to realize they shouldn’t speak.
“We had a lot of extra work,” he said. “But I got stronger.”
Mingear and Arevalo said the Explorers program has helped them to gain leadership skills and discipline, as well as learn about law enforcement.
While many of the Explorers are male, there are some females – such as Arevalo – who participate.
She said she would strongly recommend the program to other young ladies.
“I was iffy about the program,” Arevalo said of when she first started, but warmed up to it as she realized, “a girl can do a guy’s job as well.”
Arevalo has applied for a position as a dispatcher for the Sheriff’s Office and plans to pursue a degree. She plans to follow in Deputy Lozada’s path and eventually go into law enforcement.
Mingear has a couple more years of school to get through and then plans to join the US Army.
The Explorers program is open to teens ages 14 through 19 who have at least a “C” average grade, have good moral habits, and have had no serious arrests or convictions.
The program is not funded through the Sheriff’s Office. Instead, it relies on fund-raising activities and donations.
Anyone interested in joining the Explorers, in learning more, or finding out how to support the program is encouraged to contact Deputy Roberta Barker by calling (772) 770-5028.
