NOGALES, Ariz. – The 10 kids, none of whom looks older than 18, lined up outside of the Nogales Border Patrol Station, 1500 W. La Quinta Road, at precisely 5 p.m. They stood face forward, arms at their sides, at attention.

One of the girls stepped away from the group. She walked around, asking each person in line questions.

“When was the last time you polished your boots?”

“Where are your handcuffs?”

Each teenager answered, never forgetting to add a ma’am at the beginning and end of the sentence.

The girl then asked, “What is integrity?”

“Knowing right from wrong and doing the right thing!” they all replied in unison.

Welcome to a Nogales Border Patrol Explorer Post No. 125 meeting, which begins promptly at 5 p.m. every Tuesday and at 8 a.m. Saturday. The Nogales program is one of six such Explorer posts in the Tucson Border Patrol sector, which stretches across Arizona from Yuma to the New Mexico border. It allows children, ages 14 to 20, to work directly with Border Patrol agents, learning the protocols and gaining field experience.

“I think that it is an excellent program that helps these kids develop into responsible young adults,” said Zuma Gomez, a Border Patrol agent and an Explorer post adviser. “They aren’t little kids. They are at an age where they can go in a positive or negative direction.”

The Explorer program is part of the Learning for Life program sponsored by the Boy Scouts of America. According to the BSA Web site, the program is “designed to support schools and community-based organizations in their efforts to prepare youth to successfully handle the complexities of contemporary society and to enhance their self-confidence, motivation and esteem.”

Most states have Explorer programs in a variety of fields besides border patrol, including police work, fire service, journalism, health care, emergency medical service, culinary arts, engineering, business, farming, science, law, arts and social services.

Denise Godinez, an 18-year-old senior at Nogales High School and the Explorer in Charge who asks the questions, has been a member of the Nogales post for almost four years. She said the program has had a positive impact on her and given her the discipline necessary to pursue a career in medicine. She plans to attend Arizona State University in the fall.

“Being part of the program has taught me a great deal of responsibility and respect,” Godinez said. “I have learned integrity, which has maintained my focus in school with my academics and such, and that’s what keeps me on track.”

She added that she also has learned how to be a follower. “That is actually what has allowed me to become a leader,” Godinez said. “I have always believed that in order to become a leader, one must be able to follow first.”

As the meeting continued, the Explorers demonstrated their discipline and physical fitness. They continued working outside, doing physical training such as push-ups, jumping jacks and sit-ups before practicing a building entry.

All 10 kids dressed in tactical vests and were given fake guns outside of the mock building they were about to enter. Their leader yelled at them to be prepared, weapons ready.

They entered the building, still yelling at each other so each one knew where and how many people they found and detained.

The team did multiple entry scenarios, talking after each entry about how to improve techniques.

Post advisers are proud of their students. In January, the post participated in the Chandler Tactical Competition, and Iliana Magallanes, a student at Nogales High School, placed first in the three-mile run with a time of 18 minutes and 37 seconds. The team also received second place in the tactical competition for hostage negotiation.

The team’s trophies fill a case on a large wall in the Nogales Border Patrol building.

“Our kids work really hard,” said Santos Flores, a Border Patrol agent and post adviser. “We really focus mainly on the physical part for the competitions, like building entries, searching and arresting.”

Flores said the children are taught the history of the post and agency, the law regarding the border, policies, procedures and how to work as part of a law enforcement agency.

“One of the challenges is getting them in the law enforcement mindset where they realize that there are situations that can put your life, health and safety into jeopardy,” Flores said. “For the most part, kids overcome that fear of what to do next and learn how to react fast.

“Some come in shy and go to a corner. They get to the point where they can get up and give commands and they have great self-confidence. It’s really rewarding to see that process.”

Will Morton, a 14-year-old student at Little Red Middle School near Patagonia, who has been part of the Explorer post for five months, said he believes that his experience will help him with his future career.

“I have always wanted to be some type of law enforcement, and Border Patrol is the particular type that I want to do,” Morton said. “Mr. Haynes (an agent from Panama who is working in Nogales) came to Little Red and gave a presentation and talked about the Explorers, so I came down to check it out.”

Morton said that the only thing he dislikes is waking up early on the weekend, but, “My favorite part is the knowledge you gain here. It’s outside of school so you get to learn about leadership and things like that, which school might not teach you. You learn about life skills like integrity and modesty.”

The kids are not the only ones who learn from the program.

Ariel Haynes, the agent from Panama, said teaching the kids helps keep his skills sharp.

“If you are always remembering and teaching the basics, it makes you a sharper agent,” said Haynes, who is also a drill sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve. “Every time I go back and teach them the basics, it enhances me as an agent and keeps my skills up the way they should be at all times.”

Haynes said he wanted to join the program because “in Nogales and other border towns, kids really need role models because they are surrounded by so much negative activity. Having kids in high school participate gives them a different outlook on things.”

In a small town like Nogales, there is not a lot for children to do, but in the Explorer program, “I’ve been able to become friends with all the Explorers,” Godinez said. “They are now close to being like my family, and I consider them to be people I can trust and I would do anything for.”

Godinez’s younger brother Jose Godinez, 17 and a student at Nogales High School, is also an Explorer. He said his sister encouraged him to join after he expressed interest in being a Border Patrol agent when he grows up.

“I love everything about it and everything we do from fund-raising to competitions,” Jose said. “I want to pursue a career in Border Patrol. I realized that it could be a big step for me if I joined the Explorers and see what the Border Patrol actually does.”

The advisers said that they have become attached to the kids and want to help them, even if they do not become agents.

“It is as if they are my own kids,” adviser Gomez said. “We just want to see them succeed.”