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Marines train on a daily basis — they head to the ranges to sharpen shooting skills, test their endurance at the obstacle course, suffer through days of eating meals ready-to-eat, and spend days on end wearing heavy body armor as they prepare for deployments to every corner of the world.
Taking a break from training Sept. 19, the Marines and Sailors of 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division offered spouses and family members the opportunity to experience the Marine Corps way of life during a battalion Jane Wayne Day aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C.
"Jane Wayne Day is a good chance for the spouses to experience the life of their Marine," said Shelley Rodriquez, the family readiness officer for 1/2.
Rodriquez mentioned that wives had the opportunity to fire the M9 Beretta pistol and M4 carbine, don camouflage face paint, and also eat a MRE.
"Jane Wayne Day is a good thing," said Lance Cpl. Octaviano Ramirez, a machine gunner with Weapons Company. "It's cool for our wives to be a Marine for a day and let them see what we do."
Rodriquez also explained that it allows spouses to understand and appreciate what their Marines are going through.
"Knowledge is power," said Rodriquez. "And it's that empowerment that will help families to make decisions on their own while their spouses are away on deployment."
After receiving a safety brief, the spouses got a chance to work together to complete the Marine Corps' famed obstacle course and later moved on to fire weapons at a live fire range.
"Getting to shoot the weapons was my favorite part," said Ramirez's wife, Lizbeth. "Being able to experience this first hand is good."
Rodriquez also said that today was a great opportunity for families to build camaraderie and spend time together in preparation for the unit's future deployments.
She added that Jane Wayne Day events have been around for sometime, recalling a similar event she participated in 14 years ago.
"It's a good way to spend time with your family," said Mrs. Ramirez. "I would attend another one in the future."
For more information on the II Marine Expeditionary Force, visit the unit's web site at www.iimefpublic.usmc.mil.
| Date Taken: | 09.25.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 09.25.2009 11:26 |
| Story ID: | 39249 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 256 |
| Downloads: | 242 |
This work, Spouses of 1/2 get a feel for Marine Corps life, by PFC Franklin Mercado, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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