MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- More than a dozen wives and family members took part in the 3rd annual Jane Wayne Day for Weapons Training Battalion aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, May 10.
The participants experienced how Marines operate and train on a daily basis.
The event consisted of firing the M-4 service rifle in a course of fire similar to the one Marines shoot before combat. The participants moved from the rifle range to pistols and fired the M9 service pistol at targets from a range of seven yards.
After leaving the ranges, the Marines who hosted demos were set up at three stations consisting of a combat fitness test, portions of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program and an obstacle course.
“We like to give the spouses a feel for what Marines do at work,” said Maureen Pruitt, family readiness officer for Weapons Training Battalion. “The highlight of the day for this unit is the rifle and pistol ranges. The spouses and family members get to see exactly what their Marines go through every day.”
Pruitt added they get to see the work environment so there’s no sugar coating a specific situation. She said the wives or husbands also get to put names to faces and get to know who the Marines works with.
Meghan Aguirre, a military spouse, said she heard about the Jane Wayne Day and was excited to try the obstacle course and has always wanted to shoot a weapon.
“Spouses and family members should attend because they can actually get to see what the Marine does at work,” said Aguirre. “It changes your whole perspective to see how hard it is.”
This yearly event comes back to prove its worth as a great way to get family members and spouses to learn about their Marines through interactive events and a little gunpowder.