Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Meillettis Gardner | General Sommai Kaotira, the Chief of Defense Forces and Brigadier Gen. Gary M. Brito,...... read more read more
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UTAPAO, Thailand — The opening ceremony for Cobra Gold 16 brought together more than two dozen participating countries, Feb. 9 at Royal Thai Marine Corps HQ, Sattahip Chonburi Province, Thailand.
Thailand and the U.S. co-host the annual, multilateral Cobra Gold 16 exercise, which is one of the exercises included in three Pacific pathways missions - in which the U.S. partners with countries across the Indo-Asian Pacific.
“We all face the same challenges we can only solve them by working together,” said U.S Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand Glyn T. Davies during the Cobra Gold 16 opening ceremony.
Cobra Gold is the largest exercise in the pacific region and every soldier has a special part in developing partnerships in order to work together during this multinational exercise.
“Everyone who values the security and development of the Asia Pacific region knows about Cobra Gold and its excellent reputation as the largest, the most wide ranging and most valuable military exercise in this vital part of the planet,” said Ambassador Davies. “It is known around the world as the gold standard for multilateral military exercises.”
“Looking out today at the uniforms of over two dozen countries gathered as one team underscores that point,” explained Ambassador Davies.
This is my second time attending Cobra Gold, said Cpl. Sapajong Itsariya, a member of the Royal Thai Air Force. Itsariya had the opportunity to speak with soldiers from many different militaries before the opening ceremonies. A smiling Itsariya said, “This exercise is the biggest in the country [of Thailand].”
U.S. Soldiers and Royal Thai Armed Forces have different vantage points during Cobra Gold but the same objective, which is to address regional, global security challenges and to promote International Corporation and stability in the region.
“Having the opportunity to fellowship with the Thai Army is unique” said Spc. Robert Crawford, native of Austin, Texas, and air condition mechanic in Headquarters Support Company, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 25th Infantry Division. Crawford held the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) Flag prior to the Cobra Gold opening ceremony as a representative the U.S. Army’s partnership in Cobra Gold 16.
After standing in the ceremony Crawford said he was thinking about the unity of all the militaries and countries present that day.
“I probably will not have another chance like this,” said Crawford. “I’ve always wanted to travel the word and that is what I am doing.”
Crawford is working in Thailand as part of the set up and operation for the U.S. Command Post Exercise (CPX) and Early Entry Command Post (EECP) in Utapao, Thailand.
The CPX is a combined task force with multinational planning scenarios and objectives for partner nations to conduct security operations, humanitarian missions, and counter-piracy.
Col. James P. Smith, a native of Casper, Wyoming and assistant chief of staff for information operations, 25th Infantry Division, says the CPX helps work out some of the processes that go along with planning joint missions, multinational language barriers and different cultural backgrounds when called to respond to mutual regional security interest.
“I work with our partner nations, making new and awesome friends,” said Smith.
As national security professionals, Ambassador Davies says, our duty as a military is to stay vigilant and prepared to address new threats, such as diseases, natural disasters, terrorism, piracy and climate change.
“Practicing makes us better prepared to handle real world events,” explained Smith. “This is my first time here, and I am glad to be apart of it [CG 16]. I have met great officers from other nations and hope to see them again.”
Although the multinational soldiers participating in Cobra Gold as part of Pacific Pathways 16-01 are coming together with different cultural and language vantage points they all share a mutual goal of building interpersonal relationships for progress across the Pacific region.
“All soldiers share a common language,” said Smith. They know how to shoot, march and follow and lead. It is valuable for them to experience other countries.
Ambassador Davies agrees, “The value of Cobra Gold 16 is indisputable.”
| Date Taken: | 02.09.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 02.11.2016 06:21 |
| Story ID: | 188552 |
| Location: | CASP, TH |
| Hometown: | AUSTIN, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 383 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
This work, Cobra Gold Jumpstarts U.S. Army Pathways 16-01, by SFC Meillettis Gardner, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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