Retired Marine Mentors Yuma Youth Through Travis Manion Foundation Program

When Dale Dumo retired from the Marine Corps as a major, he didn't slow down. Within months, he had launched the Travis Manion Foundation's Yuma Chapter and was already inside local schools. In a 22-minute segment on KAWC's "What's Up Yuma?" radio program that aired April 3, Dumo laid out exactly how that work takes shape in Yuma County.

"I started to transition from the Marine Corps and I wanted to start doing youth mentorship," he said.

Three years later, that mission has taken root at campuses including Cibola High School and schools throughout Yuma Elementary School District One, where veteran mentors deliver the foundation's "Character Does Matter" curriculum. The program, powered by Under Armour Freedom, builds short, focused lessons around positive psychology, character strengths, and practical life skills, structured to be fast-moving and relatable for teenagers.

"The program talks about positive psychology, character strengths, you know different life skills really to help youth be all around more resilient, capable, and successful individuals," Dumo said.

The curriculum is deliberately outcome-oriented. The Yuma chapter tracks student attendance, attitudes toward responsibility, and engagement with adult role models from military and civic service backgrounds. Dumo has been consistent about one boundary: the program carries no recruitment agenda. That position has helped the chapter build working partnerships with nonprofits, service clubs, and community organizations, plugging into existing school ecosystems rather than competing with them.

The chapter's programming has become a visible part of Yuma's community calendar. Veterans ran a Character Day at O.C. Johnson Elementary School, leading direct, small-group work with students on leadership and accountability. A Back-to-School Success Workshop, held in collaboration with The Lab Training Center, walked students through goal-setting using the S.M.A.R.T. framework. The annual 9/11 Heroes Run at the Pacific Avenue Athletic Complex, which Dumo organizes, brings veterans and civilians together each September.

"We want to show those positive things, things that really touch on 'Why' you're living life, for the kids," Dumo said at the O.C. Johnson event. "Bad examples are all around us."

The foundation honors the memory of 1st Lt. Travis Manion, a Marine officer killed in Iraq in 2007 while pulling wounded teammates to safety. His words before his final deployment, "If not me, then who," became the organization's guiding principle. More than 300,000 volunteers and supporters have since joined the national network.

Veterans interested in mentoring alongside Dumo can connect through the Travis Manion Foundation's chapter listings. Yuma school administrators or nonprofit partners looking to bring "Character Does Matter" programming to their campuses can reach the chapter the same way. Nationally, the foundation's 2026 Manion WOD, a community workout event honoring 1st Lt. Manion held each April, is open for registration through April 10, with an official shirt guaranteed for anyone who signs up before that deadline.