Wives, girlfriends of America's Battalion' brave rain, feel pain as Jane Waynes

Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Story by Kristen Wong

Date: 12.21.2012
Posted: 12.21.2012 14:26
News ID: 99656
Wives, girlfriends of 'America's Battalion' brave rain, feel pain as Jane Waynes

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII - “In every clime or place,” Jane Wayne keeps up the pace. More than 30 spouses and girlfriends of the service members of 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment participated in Jane Wayne Day, Dec. 19, 2012, while enduring several intervals of chilly rainfall.

Many units Corpswide host annual Jane Wayne Days to provide Marine spouses a glimpse into their significant other’s training.

Cheryl Chiu, the family readiness officer for 3rd Bn., 3rd Marines, said the goal was to “introduce the spouses to the physical challenges their husbands face.”

“By having Marines and their spouses complete the tasks of the range and the obstacle course together, it forges a common bond between them that strengthens family readiness for the entire unit,” Chiu said.
“It also empowers spouses to open themselves up for the even bigger challenges life will throw their way.”

Early in the morning, service members and their significant others sat on bleachers at the Boondocker Training Area, awaiting the start of their “training.” Some spouses wore their service member’s camouflage bottoms, while others wore sweatpants.

In opening remarks, Lt. Col. Tom D. Wood, the battalion’s commanding officer, encouraged the ladies to have fun as they began the event’s activities.

“This gives you an opportunity to understand a little bit more about what your husband or significant other does,” Wood said.

“Not everything we do is as miserable as your husbands make it out to be,” Wood added, causing everyone to chuckle.

From the bleachers, the group made their way across the training area’s field toward the obstacle course. After a morning downpour, the sun seemed to smile upon the course, which was dry enough to use.

Staff Sgt. Rene Camarillo, a section leader with Weapons Company, 3rd Bn., 3rd Marines, directed his fellow Marines to demonstrate how to complete the course by describing various techniques they regularly employ.

“Run, jump and get over!” Camarillo repeated several times, as the participants watched Marines hoist themselves with lightning speed over a tall wooden wall in the middle of
the course.

Camarillo even demonstrated the incorrect “run, stop and fall down,” which he said the inexperienced often do when encountering the wall, once again bringing smiles and laughter.

The spouses then made two lines at the front of the course. When directed to do so, they bounded toward the first log obstacle. Some spouses leapt, spun and climbed as easily as monkeys, while others got boosts from their significant others. Each tried the different techniques they learned from the Marines, like the “chicken wing” method of climbing over the high bars.

For Tiffany Marlow, Jane Wayne Day was new territory. She hadn’t been able to attend previous occasions because of her school schedule. She said the obstacle course was difficult because she lacked upper body strength, which made climbing the high bars a challenge.

“I heard other wives talking about the last event and I saw pictures,” said Katherine Neibel, another new Jane Wayne. “I wanted to take the opportunity while I had it.”

Neibel said she also had a tough time with the obstacle course because of her height, especially as she encountered a series of four logs in the middle of the course which the ladies had to climb over in quick succession.

“It’s a good experience for any wife to do,” Neibel said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

Another bout of rain over the obstacle course quickly shooed everyone away as the last few ladies finished their turn. Taking shelter, they enjoyed some refreshments before traveling to Range Training Facility Kaneohe Bay.

At the range, participants were once again greeted by sunshine and cool wind. There were five stations facing a field of colored targets, each with a rifle set up on the ground. Each Jane Wayne lay on her stomach and peeked through the sight of the rifles they were to shoot, and the Marines issued safety instructions.

Dust flew as bullets cracked through the air. Despite the chilly, cold rain returning to haunt the spouses, they all continued to shoot and bring down their targets.

“Jane Wayne Day is good, a lot better than I thought it would be,” said Lance Cpl. Iziah Salinas, a fire team leader with Lima Company, 3rd Bn., 3rd Marines.

Salinas took photos while his wife learned how to shoot. He proclaimed she hit the furthest target in her lane at the range and managed to climb the high wall at the obstacle course.

“She did very well, I’m proud,” Salinas added.

Isabel Campos called her first shooting experience an “adrenaline rush.”

“It was just an amazing experience, especially here in Hawaii because the view is awesome.”

Julia Barker has participated in Jane Wayne Day before at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California, though these events offered different activities. Unlike Camp Pendleton, Barker said this Jane Wayne Day offered the obstacle course, which she found more difficult than other activities she’d experienced.

“My arms are pretty weak right now,” Barker said at the range, with lingering effects from the obstacle course. “But all in all, it was pretty fun.”

She said her husband talks about his job as a Marine everyday when he returns home, and usually she doesn’t know anything about it. By participating in Jane Wayne Day, she said she gained an “understanding and appreciation for what he does.”

“I hope they’ll do it again next year,” Barker said with a smile.