MarSOC hosts ‘Jane Wayne Day’

[Vulture6]

MarSOC hosts ‘Jane Wayne Day’

By Trista Talton - Staff writer
Posted : Friday May 25, 2007 17:16:46 EDT

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — There were a few chuckles and “you want me to do what?” glances, but the women weren’t backing down.

Off they went Thursday morning, about 70 wives of Marines and sailors with Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, to ram open doors, engage in close-quarter tactics and pop off live rounds from M16s and semi-automatic M1014 shotguns.

This was MarSOC’s first “Jane Wayne Day,” giving the women a taste of what their husbands do in the elite world of special operations.

“It’s harder than it looks,” Beth Crane said after stumbling with an M16 in hand while practicing a fire team rush and attack.

Crane took time away from her three children to learn about some of the things her husband, a major with a Foreign Military Training Unit, does and “maybe bust down a few doors.”

“Now, I have an appreciation for what they do,” she said. “It helps you understand what they do. It’s hard work.”

Within the wooded confines of Stone Bay, an area on the back side of Camp Lejeune where MarSOC’s new headquarters is to be built, the women were split into groups of about 15. Each group took turns at different stations, the women cheering each other on as they completed objectives, such as spotting enemy snipers and firing from the back of an armored Humvee.

“You really get an idea of what your Marine or sailor does,” said MarSOC commander Maj. Gen. Dennis Hejlik. “This is important that you have a pretty good idea of what we do.”

He wasn’t in the building when his wife, Sandy, lined up with four other women preparing to charge in and clear a room.

“Let’s do it again, girls,” she said as they made one more practice run before giving it a go with M16s filled with blank rounds.

The first pop of gunfire drew a quick “whoo” from one of the women in the small room.

“That was amazing,” Sandy Hejlik said.

The command marked its first anniversary in February and is working to fill its ranks of about 2,500 Marines, sailors and civilian employees.