Marines


Combat Center News
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Twentynine Palms, California
Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command and Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center

Spouses spend day in boots of their Marine

30 Oct 2013 | Lance Cpl. Alejandro Bedoya Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms

Lifestyle, Insights, Networking, Knowledge and Skills hosted the annual combined-arms exercise for Combat Center spouses at Felix Field Oct. 24. The spouses participated in different mock-training events that their Marines are regularly required to conduct.

“Our program is like an introduction to the Marine Corps lifestyle,” said Amber Bilderain, L.I.N.K.S program manager. “The spouses get a chance to spend a day in their Marine’s boots. It gives them a good understanding of what their husbands do and how difficult it would be to do every day.”

The Marine wives started the day with classes covering Marine Corps knowledge including classes on customs and courtesies, and rank structure. The spouses then charged an inflatable obstacle course. Once they completed the course two times, the wives ran to another section of Felix Field to suit up for laser tag and learn how to conduct fire and movement drills. The spouses were faced with the challenge of overcoming an enemy force portrayed by Marines, which they defeated.

The spouses grabbed Meals-Ready-to-Eat for lunch before gearing up in flak jackets and Kevlar helmets to take a ride in a Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement, or 7-ton. The 7-ton took the wives to the Explosive Ordinance Disposal building to see a static display of different equipment EOD technicians use for training on base, and combat environments.

“Our husbands are used to seeing these kinds of things,” said Lindsey Ferguson, spouse. “We are constantly surrounded by them, why not learn about them.”

The spouses were excited to learn about the Marine Corps and use the knowledge they gained to make their Marine Corps experience even better.

“This is like our little boot camp,” Ferguson said. “We want to be the best Marine wives we can possibly be and with events like these, it will help us achieve our goal.”


Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms