Photo By Sgt. Andrew Jones | U.S. Marine Sgt. Anthony Briscoerosser gathers with children at Pong Ka Sang School...... read more read more
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U.S. and Thai service members visited Pong Ka Sang School during Exercise Cobra Gold 2018 in Korat, Kingdom of Thailand, Feb. 19, 2018.
Service members visited the school to teach the students English, play games shared by both cultures and present gifts.
The U.S. Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps service members are at Korat Air Force Base during Cobra Gold to support the aviation combat element of the exercise. U.S. Navy Lt. Aroon Seeda came to the event with Royal Thai Armed Forces chaplains and was able to show them how the U.S. Navy does community relations events.
“Community relations events are very important parts of our exercises,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. James Williford, group chaplain with Marine Aircraft Group 36. “It gives us an opportunity to get out there and serve as ambassadors for our nation and also for our different services. We can get out there and we can help to win the hearts and minds of the Thai people and hopefully build long-lasting relationships with the local people.”
For a lot of Thai children, English is not taught in the schools and lessons can cost a lot of money.
“In Thailand if you want to speak English with native speakers you have to pay a lot of money,” said Sukanya Dechdas, a tour guide with Yacht Charter who helped to coordinate the event. “The school doesn’t have the chance for that. My parents didn’t have money to send me to get English classes and from my experience English is very important. I think it is a good chance for them.”
Dechdas, who goes by Lek, her husband Waroon Chinosaeng and other volunteers donated gifts for the students and served as interpreters for the event.
Community Relations events like this happen throughout Cobra Gold and demonstrate the mutual commitment to support humanitarian interests of friends and partner nations and aim to improve the health, welfare and the quality of life of civilian residents in the exercise areas.
“Community Relations events help the Thai people to understand that the U.S. doesn’t just want something from them but that we are here for them, we are here to give to them, and build our alliance and friendship,” said Williford. “This is the 37th Cobra Gold and I think that speaks volumes about our alliance.”
| Date Taken: | 02.20.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 02.20.2018 21:09 |
| Story ID: | 266501 |
| Location: | KORAT, TH |
| Hometown: | AUSTIN, TX, US |
| Hometown: | NEPTUNE CITY, NJ, US |
| Hometown: | PHILADELPHIA, PA, US |
| Hometown: | ROCHESTER, MI, US |
| Web Views: | 128 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Cobra Gold 18: Service members visit Thai school, by Sgt Andrew Jones, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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