KORAT, Thailand – U.S. Marine and Royal Thai Air Force explosive, ordnance, disposal technicians trained together in Korat during Cobra Gold 2011.
Marine Wing Support Squadron 172, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Air Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force, EOD Marines exchanged techniques with Royal Thai Air Force EOD technicians. The training included introduction to the explosive ordnance disposal robots and metal detectors.
The training was part of Cobra Gold 2011, an annual multinationaltraining exercise designed to improve designed to improve partner nation interoperability.
“It’s been an absolutely outstanding experience to see how the Thai EOD technicians develop, work and how they support the airstrip,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Bobby Garza, officer-in-Charge of EOD with MWSS-172. “We can implement ideas that we’ve learned from them and help them out to better support their personnel.”
“I’m glad that I have had the opportunity to learn new techniques and technology with the Marines,” said Capt. Thanapol Klongdee, a Royal Thai Air Force EOD technician,. “It would be great if we could keep this training going so that we could further our EOD [program].”
The mutual exchange of information was beneficial to both nations’ EOD technicians as no matter where they are or the tools they use, the job is always the same, said Garza.
“In a community as small as EOD, it is very easy to share information,” Garza added.
Continued training of this nature would be very beneficial, according to Wing Cmdr. Kandit Surapakpong, Royal Thai Air Force.
“It would be great to have our EOD crew from Bangkok or headquarters to join in on the training with us in the future,” said Surapakpong. "We would like to conduct this sort of training during every Cobra Gold."