A Day in the Life of a Marine: Rohnert Park Mom Gets a Lesson

When America’s men and women in uniform are off on duty — whether that’s on deployment, in training or on active duty somewhere — it’s natural that family members left behind feel disconnected. But Rohnert Park resident Carol Kenyon, who has lived in Rohnert Park for more than 30 years, recently got a chance to live a day in the life of a Marine.

Kenyon’s daughter and son-in-law are in the Marine Corps, stationed at Camp Pendleton on the beaches of Southern California. On April 15, Kenyon, 60, got a taste of what her daughter’s life was like.

She was taught how to throw a punch and learned martial arts, purified her own water, she launched simulated grenades, did the low crawl under camouflaged netting, practiced shooting laser rifles on the practice range and ran an obstacle course.

But what stood out to Kenyon the most was the feeling she had when she left — she felt tied into a community.

“I definitely broke a sweat, especially on the obstacle course; we had several hurdles to go over and we did a pretend attack on a Marine with a bayonet,” Kenyon said. “But one of the best parts was getting to know the other families — there was a lot of laughing in our group.”

“I felt like if I were to meet them in a grocery store, I would recognize them and say hey,” she added. “That’s the intent, to build a community, a large extended family, so that when the Marines are away on deployment you can talk to them about your concerns and have someone to rely on.”

That’s what the event was geared towards — building a support network for families of soldiers. The day, hosted by Camp Pendleton’s 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, was termed Jane Wayne Day, and military families were invited to attend.

"It's was day for families of Marines," Kenyon said. 

Family support groups in military units are essential to their wellness and support. While many units have these types of groups in place, military units have ramping up the effort to reach out to loved ones. In January, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama launched a joint initiative to make a greater effort to take care of military families, called “Joining Forces: Taking Action to Serve America's Military Families.”

“I will always remember the request of a brave service member whom I met overseas,” Obama said in a statement. “’Please take care of our families back home,’ I told him I would.”

As for Kenyon, she said she feels more connected now.

“It was so amazing, and it was interesting to see the types of training my daughter has gone through,” she said.