Photo By Lance Cpl. David Hersey | Michelle A. Soloff, right, learns about the proper handling of a M2 .50 Caliber...... read more read more
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CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Stefanie Walker lay prone in the grass, rifle secured to her shoulder and eye trained down the sites at her target. She squeezed the trigger slowly until it fires, letting out a whoop of excitement as the round struck the target.
Walker was one of several spouses who fired weapons during the Jane Wayne Day hosted by 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Oct. 1.
Jane Wayne Days are a long-standing tradition in the Marine Corps, showing spouses what it's like to be a Marine for a day. The Marines with 2/8 held the Jayne Wayne Day to introduce their spouses to the weapons training and physical fitness tests they do on a regular basis.
To begin the day, the spouses were divided into two groups. One group was loaded onto a pair of buses and transported to a range where they learned to fire the M4 Carbine, M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle, and the M203 Mounted Grenade Launcher, all weapons the Marines have used in their own training or while on deployments.
The second group performed a modified combat fitness test and toured static displays of vehicles and larger weapon systems used by the battalion, including the Humvee and the M2 .50 Caliber Machine Gun.
Once both groups were finished, they were rotated to ensure everyone managed to get the most experience out of the event as possible.
The Jane Wayne Day also served as a way to introduce the spouses of Marines within the battalion to each other so they could build a communications network for when their husbands were deployed overseas, said Katie L. Dawkins, fiancée to Staff Sgt. Erik T. Lueras, an infantry unit leader with the battalion.
“It can be hard when they’re deployed and you don’t know anyone,” said Dawkins. “Now that we’ve all had a chance to meet and talk we can keep in contact. If one of us gets any information, it can be spread around so everyone knows their spouse is doing okay.”
For the Marines with the battalion it served to both settle their own worries as well as provide a fun experience, said 1st Lieutenant Michael S. Klem, a platoon commander with Weapons Company.
“We’re worried when we have to leave our wives behind,” said Klem. “This kind of stuff helps build a community among the wives where they can meet and talk to people who have gone through the same experiences and can support each other. They get a little more of an insight to what it is we do and can build a better mental picture when we explain things.”
Many of the spouses said they greatly appreciated the chance to experience a piece of their husbands’ lives and look forward to the next time the opportunity presents itself.
“Even for a military spouse there is a lot left unknown about a Marine’s daily life,” said Amy Moore, the wife of Lance Cpl. Keaton T. Moore, a rifleman with 2nd Bn., 8th Marines. “There are still things I don’t know, but every bit helps.”
| Date Taken: | 10.03.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 10.07.2014 15:14 |
| Story ID: | 144521 |
| Location: | CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 259 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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