MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. -- Donned in their husband’s apparel, wives of Marines with Marine Wing Communication Squadron 28 appeared anxious as they paced back and forth, shaking off their last-minute jitters before participating in Jayne Wayne Day May 30.
Approximately 30 Spartans rounded up their families and came out to cheer on their wives during the day’s festivities including a modified combat fitness test, the obstacle course, Marine Corps martial arts training and machine gun simulator training.
The wives participated in a variety of events to gain a shared understanding of what their Marine goes through, said Lt. Col. Matthew E. Limbert, the MWCS-28 commanding officer.
As they stepped into their husbands’ boots, most of them had no idea what challenges they would face throughout the day.
“I didn’t expect the events to be as tough as they were,” said Jayne Wayne Day veteran Amanda Gray, who has participated in three with her husband, Staff Sgt. Chance L. Gray, the MWCS-28 wire chief.
During the first event of the day, the CFT, Spartan spouses got down and dirty while Marines assisted them. During the ammo can portion, the wives performed ammo can lifts while their husbands and family members cheered them on.
As the day progressed, so did the difficulty of the events. During the maneuver-under-fire portion of the CFT, many of the Marines low crawled beside their wives, shouting words of encouragement as some of them displayed exasperated looks on their faces.
“It was hard,” said Kristin Rosenberg, wife of Cpl. Jared S. Rosenberg, a tropospheric scatter radio multichannel equipment operator with the squadron. “Although it was difficult, I really got to see what my husband goes through.”
After completing the fitness test, the spouses took a break from the day’s rigorous activities to partake in lunch at the mess hall.
After chow, the wives headed to the obstacle course and watched as Marines demonstrated each obstacle. Before trying their luck on certain portions of the course, they were taught vital tips and tricks like how to “chicken-wing” the double bars and how to “J hook” the rope around their feet while climbing it.
When it was his wife’s turn to run the course, Lance Cpl. Chandler Moralis, a technical controller, was right beside her every step of the way. She said she enjoyed herself so much, she had to do the obstacles more than once.
Overall, the wives were mentally and physically challenged during the day’s events, said Grey.
“It was exhausting for me, but I really enjoyed it,” she said.
Her husband said he enjoyed being out there cheering for her, as she displayed the core values Marines work hard to uphold every day.