Photo By Cpl. Christopher Johns | Marilou Thomas, wife of Gunnery Sgt. Brad Thomas and a San Diego native, fires a mock...... read more read more
Subscribe
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. – Marine Corps wives stand at the position of attention, waiting to see what happens next as five former drill instructors start toward them.
“Get on the yellow foot prints! Okay, scream ‘Aye, aye, Sir,’” shouted Staff Sergeant Jonathan Ferguson, squadron gunnery sergeant for Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron and a Dayton, Ohio native, aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., Sept. 7. “Sound off!”
Jane Wayne day had begun.
“The program [Jane Wayne Day] is to help spouses really understand what is going on and what their Marines do on a daily basis,” said Maria Lengerke, the H&HS family readiness officer. “We want them to have some empathy to what these men and women go through.”
The spouses started with a yellow foot-print experience where former drill instructors, like Ferguson, greeted the spouses in the same manner they welcomed new recruits aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depots San Diego and Parris Island.
“We had some [former] drill instructors come and do a little bit of yelling at the spouses to show them what it’s like to enter the Marine Corps as a recruit,” said Lengerke. “From there, we went to the Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Trainer to fire simulated automatic weapon systems.”
Spouses also received a tour of the Air Traffic Control tower, where they observed how important ATC Marines’ jobs are in preventing aircraft-related mishaps.
“The ATC tower was interesting because we got to see all of the equipment and aircraft,” said Karri Schieb, wife of Lance Cpl. Erik Schieb and a Toledo, Ohio native. “I might not have liked it too much, but the drill instructors’ coming to yell at us was my favorite part of the day. You hear stories about them but it’s completely different when it’s happening to you, it isn’t just words anymore – it’s real life.”
The participants also visited Gonzales Mess Hall for lunch, went to a military working dog demonstration with the Provost Marshal’s Office, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal display and firefighting equipment handling with Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting.
“A lot of times spouses don’t understand why their loved ones have to work strange hours or on the weekends, but with programs like Jane and Wayne Days, we help them understand,” said Lengerke. “It helps when, as a Marine, you come home and you have a spouse who is empathetic and takes pride in what you do and herself in her support.”
| Date Taken: | 09.07.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 09.11.2012 19:43 |
| Story ID: | 94541 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | DAYTON, OHIO, US |
| Hometown: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | TOLEDO, OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 186 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Spouses suit up for Jane Wayne Day, by Cpl Christopher Johns, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
