Five years ago, while on his way home from school in the Bronx, then-10-year-old Julio Garcia noticed a group of teenagers in military uniform and wondered why they were marching.

Julio is now a staff sergeant with that group, the Washington Greys Military Cadets, which was started by the U.S. Army Junior Guard to help keep at-risk kids off the streets and instill the discipline and confidence they need to succeed in college.

SLIDESHOW: Click above for scenes of the Washington Greys Military Cadets in action.