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“Although the Thai and U.S. forces get together every year, each time they learn something new,” said Royal Thai Navy Lt. j.g. Somkuan Sungthong through an interpreter. “The general EOD concept is the same, but the equipment is a little different,” he said. “They have equipment that we don’t have and that we’ve never seen before.”

Live-Fire Exercise
Royal Thai Army soldiers observed more than 100 U.S. Marines participate in live-fire weapons training at a Thai firing range as part of exercise COBRA GOLD 2005. The Marines fired M2 .50 caliber heavy machine guns, M240G medium machine guns, MK19 40mm machine guns, and M249 light machine guns.

The exercise is an annual COBRA GOLD event and rotates to a different firing range each year. “We rotate between similar training areas,” said Lt. Col. Robert Plantz. “Last year, the Marines were in Lopburi . . . the hilly, open terrain is ideal for this kind of training.”

Medical Civic Action Projects
Medical civic action projects took place in 11 rural villages. The villages were selected based on the inaccessibility of nearby public healthcare. “Many of the villagers in rural areas have a hard time getting transportation to hospitals and clinics,” said U.S. Navy Cmdr. Patricia Steiner. “The villagers often ignore the [non-life threatening] medical problems."

In the village of Ban Toong Fon, more than 60 U.S. soldier, sailors, and airmen treated more than 200 Thais, after setting up a makeshift hospital in the village elementary school.Patients began their treatment in triage where, with the help of a translator, they explained their medical issues to the service members. Medical services included optometry, where villagers received eye exams, eyeglasses, and treatment for common eye problems, such as cataracts and dry eyes.

Villagers also received basic dental care, including exams, tooth extractions, and instruction on how to care for their teeth with their new toothbrushes and toothpaste. Other medical services included physical therapy, where patients received treatment for bone and muscle pain, and treatment for common medical problems, such as skin and gastro-intestinal problems.

Engineering Civic Action Projects
Thai and U.S. forces completed six humanitarian engineering construction projects. These included four buildings, a water tower, and a bridge that connected towns often separated during the rainy season.

Thai military engineers and U.S. Navy engineers along with local media and guests attended the dedication ceremony for the new multipurpose center at the Wat Kommaneeyakhet School in Phang Nga and a bridge dedication in Ban Jingteenuean. Both were built in about six weeks.

Addressing attendees at the School, U.S. Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce said, “This facility will be used by the more than 400 children who attend this school, but also by the community. [Thai and] U.S. soldiers built this center and water tower with affection and friendship as a tangible symbol of our decades of cooperation.”

Marines, Sailors Deliver Supplies to Thai Villages
U.S. Marines and sailors delivered drinking water, milk, and more than 35 bags containing rice, cooking oil, sardines, and instant noodles along with clothing and toys to the residents of three Thai villages in Pattaya during COBRA GOLD 2005.“

We wanted to give food that is closer to the traditional Thai way of eating,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Glenn A. Fleming. “With the lack of electricity in their homes, the majority of these families are forced to cook over an open flame, and we wanted to provide food that could be prepared without the use of ovens or similar conveniences.”

“The donated clothing was a big part of the deliveries,” said Lt. Fleming. “There was definitely a need for children’s shoes among the families. Kids who live in less fortunate conditions spend their days walking over broken glass and sharp objects.”

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