CAMP SCHWAB, OKINAWA, Japan -- Donning flak jackets and helmets while rechecking the safety on their rifle is a common occurrence for the Marines of 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, but an uncommon experience for the spouses stationed with them on Okinawa.
The spouses of Marines with the battalion experienced these daily tasks along with other military centric training May 3 during the 2nd annual Recon Rhonda event on Camp Schwab.
“Recon Rhonda is a play on the traditional Jane Wayne event that other units host,” said Capt. Richard M. Sierra, the commanding officer of Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force. “Since we are a reconnaissance unit, we added a little more reconnaissance flavor to the day.”
It is important to the service members that the spouses leave the event with an appreciation for what they do every day, according to Sierra, a Fontana, Calif., native. Exposure to the various training that reconnaissance Marines experience helps build team cohesion and unity at both the family and unit level.
The wives started the day by putting on tactical gear before loading into the back of a 7-ton truck for a short, yet bumpy, ride to a marksmanship range. At the range, they were afforded the opportunity to fire M-4 assault rifles and M-27 infantry assault rifles.
“The automatic gun was awesome,” said Caitlyn E. Deblaay, spouse of Sgt. Joseph Deblaay, a reconnaissance man with Force Reconnaissance Company, 3rd Recon Bn. “It shot 30 rounds in about two seconds.”
After firing, the spouses “police called” the area, picking up the spent ammunition, before heading back to Camp Schwab to board a combat rubber raiding craft for a little time on the water.
“(Riding the combat rubber raiding crafts) was a perfect thing to do after the range,” said to Deblaay, a Rockford, Mich., native.
Participants next participated in some self-defense maneuvers during a Marine Corps Martial Arts Program exhibition.
“The operational tempo of the unit is (very high),” said Lt. Col. Eric N. Thompson, the commanding officer of the battalion. “This is an opportunity to say thank you to the wives.
“The one thing I want them to come away with is a sense of camaraderie,” continued Thompson, a San Diego, Calif., native. “By them spending the day together, they are building up a support network for when their husbands inevitably leave for a deployment.”
The day ended with a barbeque as the spouses spent time getting to know each other and talking about the various experiences.
“This is an opportunity of a lifetime,” said Deblaay. “It’s very important to attend events like this as a spouse. I have a much deeper appreciation for what my husband does now, and that in turn will help me support him.”