Staff Sgt. Derek Dritchas, 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, left, rappels with his daughter Cailey, 5, as part of the brigade's Jane Wayne Day celebration Oct. 17 at Sand Hill. The 40-foot Eagle Tower rappel wall provided a real-life look at wh...

FORT BENNING, Ga., (Oct. 21, 2015) -- Family members and friends of the 198th Infantry Brigade joined their Soldiers to participate in Jane Wayne Family day Oct. 17 at Sand Hill.

"Jane Wayne day is an opportunity to bring together the Family members and friends of the 198th Inf. Bde. and provide a better understanding of what the brigade does," said Capt. Marianne Tovo, company commander, Headquarters and Headquarters, 198th Inf. Bde., "It's also a great opportunity to build cohesion and esprit de corps."

The event was originally created to give Solders' spouses the opportunity to spend a day training like a Soldier, and has since been opened to all Family members, Tovo said.

The different events that take place are chosen to provide maximum exposure to military training and give the Families a well-rounded view of different obstacles the Soldiers face during the week.

The event had several training sites open, including:

• Eagle Tower, which features "A-frame" steps, wooden ladders and platforms, roped bridges, a cargo net and 40-foot rappel wall;

• Slide for Life zip-line, which is a 35-foot zip-line structure;

• A ride in a Stryker, where Family members where taught about maneuvering over different terrain;

• Static displays of a Humvee and mortar systems;

• A mock range weapons familiarization station, where they were given the chance to shoot blank bullets out of different weapons systems.

"I really liked getting to jump on the wall," said Cailey Dritchas, 5, whose father is Staff Sgt. Derek Dritchas with 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment. "I was a little bit scared but Dad helped me with the ropes so it wasn't bad."