GUERNSEY, Wyo. (AP) - State military officials have recommended this town as the site for a new National Guard "boot camp" program that will target troubled youth.

Only Guernsey and Riverton expressed interest in the Wyoming National Guard Youth Challenge Program, state officials said.

The presence of the Guard's Camp Guernsey was a key factor in the recommendation.

"No formal decision has been made yet," Col. Shaun Powell, interim director for the program, said Tuesday. "We're still awaiting a decision from the governor and the school district in Guernsey."

The program, which is voluntary for participants, seeks to create job opportunities for dropouts, help them attain a high school diploma or equivalent and develop skills to be successful.

The Legislature this year appropriated $1.12 million for the program, providing that the federal government provide $1.68 million in matching funds by July 1.

Powell said the key difference between the program and a military boot camp is that the participants are not being trained as soldiers, even though many might later join the Armed Forces.

"It is in the context or the setting of the military to promote changes in thinking and changes in life, but it doesn't prepare people to go into combat," he said.

Based on similar programs in other states, about one-third who complete the program will join the military, a third will move into college or vocational training and a third will return to their communities, Powell said.

The legislation authorized 45 new positions within the Wyoming Military Department to operate the program.

Maj. Gen. Edward Wright, Wyoming adjutant general, has asked Gov. Dave Freudenthal to respond by June 1 to his recommendation that Guernsey be the host site so that planning can begin for classes, scheduled to start Jan. 6, 2006.

The host school district must be willing to accept an alternative high school, including food service, transportation and special programs. How students advance under the federal No Child Left Behind Act is yet to be determined.

Wright said if Guernsey cannot make the commitment, then he will explore options in Fremont County.

Wyoming joined 24 other states offering the program.

To qualify for the program, applicants must be drug-free high school dropouts between 16 and 18 years of age.

The National Guard Challenge Program was authorized by Congress in the 1993 Defense Authorization Bill as a pilot program.

On the Net: http://new.ngycp.org/

Information from: The (Riverton) Ranger, http://www.dailyranger.com