KORAT ROYAL THAI AIR FORCE BASE, Thailand -- Marines and sailors aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni executed orders Jan. 22 to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, to take part in exercise Cobra Gold 2010, an exercise demonstrating joint and multinational capabilities and improving interoperability between the United States and Thailand.
The exercise was scheduled to commence Feb. 1. However, Marines and sailors arrived early to set up equipment, schedule flight plans, situate missions and organize units.
Cobra Gold 2010 is a regularly scheduled joint/combined exercise in the continuing series of U.S.-Thai military exercises designed to ensure regional peace and strengthen the ability of the Royal Thai Armed Forces to defend Thailand or respond to regional contingencies.
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115, Marine Aircraft Group 12, Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12 and Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242 are all participating in the month-long exercise as well as units from other bases around the world.
To keep VMFA-115 and VMFA(AW)-242 in the air and operable, MAG-12 and MALS-12 Marines have come to aid with the mission.
“There are a lot of different shops that need to work together here to keep the aircraft up and running,” said Cpl. Brent Medina,an ordnance technician for VMFA-115. “We rely on each other for general tasks.”
The training demonstrates U.S. forces’ commitment to peace and stability in the pacific region.
“The Marine Corps wants to maintain a forward presence of our fighter attack aircraft in the Far East to defend Japan and maintain alliance with Japan and the Far East,” said Capt. Roy Nicka, pilot training officer for VMFA-115.
The exercise will focus on operational readiness and bilateral interoperability in areas such as tactics, equipment and logistics support.
“We are going to fly with the Royal Thai Air Force to build that relationship with us and one of the U.S allies, that being Thailand,” said Nicka.
It’s important to do it with another country that is an ally because it proves that the U.S. can operate with them and show they can conduct preflight planning, briefing as a cohesive package, executing the mission as planned and debriefing to get the lessons learned, he added.
Cobra Gold 2010 is not only an air exercise. Units from Okinawa, Japan, are joining the exercise to provide the ground combat element of the exercise as well as helicopters, C-130s and other various equipment.
“Cobra Gold 2010 is really showing it’s not just us as the Marine Corps operating,but it’s us as allies in the Far East and South East Asia,” said Nicka.