Midn. 1/C Josh Elliott demonstrates to a scout how to tie a special type of knot.

Roughly 85 Midshipmen camped out at Camp Letts for three days and two nights along with approximately 650 Scouts and adults from the local community, fighting the frost and cold temperatures.

The Mids gave the scouts a chance to test their skills at earning hard-to-get merit badges, such as wilderness survival, orienteering, radio and first aid.

‘‘The Jamboree provides me a way to stay connected with a part of my life that has had such a tremendous impact on the person I am today,” said Midn. 2⁄C Will Cunha, commanding officer of the Jamboree 2010. ‘‘Scouting has taken me places and taught me things that some of my peers can only dream about and I wish everyone had been as blessed as me to participate in the program.”

The scouts were also introduced to current and former members of the military, such as retired Marine Capt. Dale Dye who founded Warriors Inc., a California company that specializes in training actors for realistic military portrayals in films.

In the 1986 movie Platoon, he played Capt. Harris and also served as military technical adviser for the movie. He appeared in and advised various other television and film productions, such as Band of Brothers and Saving Private Ryan.

Along with the guest speaker, Marines from the 4th Combat Engineer Battalion were there also, showing the scouts a little of what they do.

‘‘This is the first time we got Marines to be directly involved with the overall event. This is the second year in a row we have had participation from the Scout Reach program from Inner City Baltimore,” said Cunha.

Despite the cold, the Mids worked with their groups outside, providing guidance when needed.

‘‘We try to give them the best advice possible to fit whatever situation they’re in,” said Midn. 3⁄C Allen Cowherd, executive officer of Jamboree 2010. ‘‘The best bet always is honesty.”

Cunha believes prior experience as an Eagle Scout helps prepare Midshipmen for military service, giving them experience in leadership and understanding the rules and regulations of military duty.

Both Cunha and Cowherd, prior Eagle Scouts, said that the Jamboree gave Mids the opportunity to show their appreciation for how the scouts have helped them.

‘‘It is no coincidence that the end of the scout oath states, ‘I will do my best ... to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.’ When you look at the mission of the United States Naval Academy to develop Midshipmen morally, mentally, and physically, you can’t help but see a correlation,” said Cunha.

The event also gave the Mids the chance to answer questions about life at the Academy.

‘‘The Midshipmen are great role models for any young adult,” said Cunha. ‘‘Having an opportunity to learn from them and hear their story is really the main attraction for the weekend.”