MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron spouses participated in the 2016 Spouse Family Day, also known as Jayne Wayne Day at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, May 14, 2016.
Designed to build unit and family cohesion, this event gives insight as to what their military sponsors experience daily and showcases how Marines operate and train here.
“This is our opportunity to let spouses take a walk in their service member's boots,” said Morgan Voigt, family readiness officer with H&HS. “It's a chance for them to learn more about the awesome, and often rigorous, training and operations our Marines and sailors undertake here in Iwakuni.”
Volunteer drill instructors met with approximately 20 participants at the Aircraft Rescue Firefighting and Recovery building to boost their energy and intensity in preparation of the long day.
“This year, we wanted to tailor our Jayne Wayne Day to yield a more H&HS specific experience,” said Voigt. “I'm really excited to involve our sections and highlight what they do. Our spouses got to go down the slide at ARFF . . . and train like our PMO Marines over at Disaster Village . . . it was a total blast.”
Participants also learned about various aspects of the Marine Corps lifestyle from strict hair regulations, fitness standards and military bearing, to how Marines operate weapons, utilize specific equipment for their jobs and different professions within the organization.
“This was my first time during my 13 years that I’ve been a Marine Corps spouse participating in this event,” said Amy Dean, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron command deck secretary and unit sponsorship coordinator. “It was awesome, motivating, and nice to get out there with my H&HS ladies and the command deck team. Getting to learn the different departments on base and being able to have a concept of what goes on is fascinating. The best part was probably MCMAP and getting to choke out the instructors . . . I’ll definitely participate . . . next year and others should participate too because we don’t really know what the other Marines do on a daily basis everywhere else.”
Usually held on an annual basis, Jayne Wayne Day spouses may be from any branch of service and is open for male participants as well. The event is held by multiple squadrons to boost unit cohesion across the station.
“Jane Wayne Day is a great way to build camaraderie with the spouses,” said Voigt. “It opens their eyes to the intensive training that is required of our Marines to become masters of their trades, and it's a chance to learn about different sections that they might never have otherwise experienced in the Marine Corps.”
Interested in signing up for next year’s Family Spouse Day? Contact your unit Family Readiness Officer for more information.