'Janes' jump into Marine boots 

Family and friends of Marines and sailors serving with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit experienced a day of military activities during the unit’s Jane Wayne Day here April 15.

Participants maneuvered through an obstacle course, shot a weapons simulator, practiced Marine Corps martial arts and visited static displays ranging from a CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter to a tactical water-purification system.

“This event helps spouses and family members get familiarized with what Marines do in the field and in combat,” said Sgt. William Vasquez, 23, a Marine air-ground task force planner serving with the unit. Vasquez is from Whittier, Calif.

Marines with Military Police Support Company K-9 here gave a dog-handling demonstration to visitors, while explosive ordnance disposal Marines showed off bomb-disposal robots.

“I have been a military spouse for 21 years and had never seen the military dog demonstration before now. It was really great,” said Nichelle Hudson, wife of Col. Michael R. Hudson, the unit’s commanding officer.

The participants visited an indoor marksmanship simulator where they shot rifles at virtual targets.

“I was really interested in the weapons they had here,” said Pio Enriquez, a native of Rancho Cordova, Calif. “It was a lot of fun to get to try them out in the trainer.”