CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — Instead of gearing up to do yard work, shop, take the kids to sports practice, or head to jobs of their own, nearly 80 military family members donned blue jeans and T-shirts or pieces of their loved ones' uniforms to see how the Marine and sailors of 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion spend their days.

Saturday, July 25, was dubbed "Jane Wayne Day" and hosted by 2nd CEB, 2nd Marine Division, and was a break from the routine for the attending spouses, children and parents as they got some trigger time behind rifles and machine guns, ate their fill of meals ready-to-eat, and experienced a explosives demonstration.

"I think Jane Wayne day is a great experience for wives or anybody," said Shelly Brown, wife of 2nd CEB's senior enlisted Marine, Sgt. Maj. Steve Brown. "It gives you insight of what your spouse or son does."

Wives, sons, daughters and grandmothers fired the M-16A4 Assault Rifle, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon and M9 Beretta pistol. Among those who got behind the weapons was Sgt. Maj. Brown's mother.

"Oh my, it was great! The weapons were powerful, but I think I did well. I think arcade games helped," she commented with a smile. "This is the very first time I've ever done anything like this before."

After putting rounds on target, the family members grabbed a traditional expeditionary meal — a MRE. While they ate, a loud explosion in the distance caught some off guard as billows of smoke and debris rose up from a demolitions range where other engineers were setting off controlled detonations.

"It's great for the spouse and it gives them an appreciation for what their spouses go through and the capabilities of the engineer field," added Gunnery Sgt. Michael Samson, a combat engineer with the battalion.

"I wanted to experience some of the things he's told me about," said Samson's wife of nearly six-years. "He's told me about the different explosives, but I've never seen them. This was awesome! It's given me a better understanding of what my husband experiences."

For more information on the II Marine Expeditionary Force, visit the unit's web site at www.iimefpublic.usmc.mil.

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