Photo By Sgt. Medina Ayala-Lo | Brandi Long, spouse, receives a demonstration on how to operate the M4 service rifle...... read more read more
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By Pfc. Medina Ayala-Lo
TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. - 7th Marine Regiment held a Jane Wayne day aboard the Combat Center, Oct. 8, 2014. The day provided Marine spouses with a glimpse into the training and daily grind of their Marines.
“This is an idea that has been around the Marine Corps for a little while,” said Gisela Lemon, Family Readiness Officer, 7th Marine Regiment. “It’s an opportunity for spouses to get an understanding of what their husband goes through on a daily basis.”
The day kicked off at 7:00 a.m. with check-in and gear issue, and ended at approximately 3:00 p.m. on Range 220. For many spouses, it was their first time attending an event of this nature.
“My husband has been in about 15 years. Being a spouse, all we see is movies at home to relate to our husbands [training],” said Brandi Long, spouse. “Having this was a first-hand experience to be able to see what goes on in the lives of our husbands.”
The spouses participated in a wide range of activities. They started the morning off with Marine Corps Martial Arts Program demonstration and practical application portion at Del Valle Field, then moved on to the Combat Convoy Simulator at Camp Wilson which gave them a taste of what their spouses go through when in a deployed environment. They also had the opportunity to shoot M4 service rifles on Range 220. By the end of the day the spouses had received a little taste of the Marine Corps experience, flack, Kevlar and Meals Ready- to-Eat included.
“The spouses don’t really get a personal view of what we do, or various training exercises,” said Cpl. Gilbert Alvarez, motor transportation operator, 7th Marine Regiment. “Today gives them an inside look of the day-to-day life we have out here.”
Being able to walk a day in their husband’s boots provides a better understanding of one another but also a sense of emotional security, for both husband and wife.
“I think readiness is super important,” Lemon said. “Marines are ready because they’ve been trained, but there’s this aspect that’s very important. If Marines know that their families are taken care of and resilient, then that adds an extra level of readiness to a unit.”
| Date Taken: | 10.08.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 10.20.2014 18:50 |
| Story ID: | 145573 |
| Location: | TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 64 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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