Cobra Gold 20: US, Royal Thai Marines build friendships and schools together

Photo By Sgt. Hannah Hall | U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. KimberlyAnn Kelm, left, and Royal Thai Marine Sgt. Thanatip Natsrita pause for a photo while painting a window sill as part of an engineering civic action project during Cobra Gold 2020 at Wattakiantong School in Khao Khitchakut District, Chanthaburi, Kingdom of Thailand, Feb. 25, 2020. Kelm, a native of Babylon, N.Y., is a drafter and surveyor with 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group. Natsrita, a native of Trat, Thailand, is a combat engineer with Marine Combat Engineer Battalion. Cobra Gold 20 maintains a consistent focus on humanitarian civic action, community engagement, and medical activities conducted during the exercise to support the needs and humanitarian interests of civilian populations around the region. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall)  

CHANTHABURI, THAILAND

02.25.2020

Story by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall 

U.S. Army Pacific Public Affairs Office

CHANTHABURI, Kingdom of Thailand - U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. KimberlyAnn Kelm calls over her friend, Royal Thai Marine Sgt. Thanatip Natsrita, to take a photo with her. Both share a genuine smile with the camera then go back to painting a school building as part of an engineering civic action project during Exercise Cobra Gold 2020, Feb. 25.

While painting, Natsrita jokingly tells Kelm to paint better, but backs off when she says, "You can do it yourself then." These two come from different backgrounds and services, but have formed a bond as ‘thick as thieves’ during their time working on the Wattakiantong School, according to Kelm.

“Even with a bit of a communication barrier between the different militaries and different languages, we all realized we just like to joke around and have fun while we work,” said Kelm, a native of Babylon, N.Y. “The Thai Marines even gave us all nicknames here. Mine is Bella, because they think I’m beautiful and nice and Natsrita is Porsche, because his first name stands for millionaire.”

Both the Thai and U.S. Marines are staying on the ENCAP site throughout the building process and, during their down time, discovered their shared interest in games.

“In the evening times we like to play cards and games together,” said Kelm. “We taught a few of the Thai Marines how to play UNO and gave them a deck of cards so they can show all their friends how to play as well.”

Kelm is a drafter and surveyor with 9th Engineering Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group. Natsrita, a native of Trat, Thailand, is a combat engineer with the Marine Combat Engineer Battalion.

Cobra Gold 20 maintains a consistent focus on humanitarian civic action, community engagement, and medical activities conducted during the exercise to support the needs and humanitarian interests of civilian populations around the region.

• Date Taken: 02.25.2020
• Date Posted: 02.26.2020 05:53
• Story ID: 363797
• Location: CHANTHABURI, TH
• Hometown: TRAT, 23, TH
• Hometown: BABYLON, NY, US