MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Station Marines and sailors are scheduled to get underway to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, to participate in Exercise Cobra Gold, May 3.
Participating units are Marine Aircraft Group 12, Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 212, Marine Aviation Logistics 12 and Combat Service Support Detachment 36.According to Staff Sgt. Tobylane Kahaulopua, MAG-12 detachment staff noncommissioned officer-in-charge, Cobra Gold is an annual training evolution for both the Royal Thai armed forces and the U.S. armed forces in Thailand.
“Cobra Gold is a good opportunity for VMFA-212 and the rest of MAG-12 to gain experience by conducting a full spectrum of multinational air-to-air and air-to-ground training,” said 1st Lt. Richard Behrmann, power line officer-in-charge and native of Milwaukee.
The exercise includes countries such as the U.S., Thailand, Singapore, Japan and Indonesia. Twenty other countries will observe.
Not only will the Marines have to train hard in their respective duties, but they will also be challenged with extreme temperatures and dehydration. May is one of the hottest months in Thailand, with temperatures soaring above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
“The exercise gives our Marines an opportunity to train in a hot weather environment and to prepare them for future operations, such as Iraq,” said Gunnery Sgt. Arthur J. Hilliard, assistant ordnance division chief for VMFA-212 and native of New Orleans. “In Thailand, the Marines will have to overcome heat, which can be a fog of war.”
According to Cpl. James H. Baird, VMFA-212 aviation operations specialist and native of Danville, N.H., the purpose of the exercise is to enhance security relations and demonstrate U.S. resolve to support the security and humanitarian interest of our friends and allies. It gives the service members a chance to make friends and share experiences with others all around the world.
Building that working relationship with the Thai service members is a plus, for two reasons, said Hilliard. Military wise we will be able to see how they work and they will be able to see how we work. The training is also a good opportunity to gain useful skills that each service member can take back to their own country.
Working with a counter part from a different country makes a good adventure story to tell loved ones back home. Many of them may never get an opportunity to visit some of the countries that we get to visit as Marines, added Hilliard.