Snapshots from COBRA GOLD US, Thai Marines seize ‘town’ during raid

By  Cpl. Garry J. Welch, courtesy of 31st MEU

HAT YAO, Kingdom of Thailand  — More than 130 U.S. Marines from Okinawa launched from the USS Tortuga and stormed Hat Yao beach with 40 of their Royal Thai Marine counterparts during a Feb. 8 small boat raid.

The raid, part of the ongoing Exercise Cobra Gold 2012, gave Royal Thai Marines  a chance to work hand-in-hand with U.S. Marines and exchange some of the techniques, tactics and procedures each service practices.

“This was my first time ever training with Thai Marines,” said Cpl. Richard Rosales, a squad leader with

Company A, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. “It was actually pretty easy because even though we are new to training with them, they knew what we were doing. It seems like they are getting used to us already, we just signal to where we are going and they roll with us.”

The objective of the raid was to seize a small town occupied by hostile forces.

“The Thai and U.S. Marines did really well,” said 1st Lt. Kyle M. Padilla, the boat platoon. “There are always points of friction when you work with outside units, and in this case there wasn’t a lot of time to cross talk and coordinate. With language barriers, and people that don’t operate the same as you do on the boats, it adds a different aspect to consider, but the Marines adapted to the situation and performed pretty good.”

The U.S. Marines had the chance to teach the Royal Thai Marines a little bit about how they operated in the water, and in urban terrain, and the Royal Thai Marines have skills they can teach the U.S. Marines as well.

“The U.S. Marines can learn something from Thailand because the terrain here is not like the terrain in the U.S.,” said 1st Lt. Bodin Suntud, a platoon commander for the Royal Thai Marine Corps. “We have jungle here, and hot and humid weather, so we can teach U.S. Marines and train them to work in foreign countries throughout the Pacific.”

Troops interact with Thai patients 

Story and photo by

Lance Cpl. Courtney G. White, courtesy of III MEF

RAYONG, Kingdom of Thailand  — U.S. Marines and sailors with the Logistics Combat Element and Marine Forces Headquarters participating in Exercise Cobra Gold 2012 visited the Camillian Social Center as part of a Feb. 11 community relations project.

The center provides health care for those suffering from HIV/AIDS with the mindset of “caring for the sick as a mother cares for her sick child. ”

The 24 service members spent the afternoon the center, which provides health care for those suffering from HIV/AIDS, playing games and interacting with the adults and children who live there.

 “The best part of the event was being able to see the residents, despite their unfortunate circumstances, in such a good mood,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Kerlon Williams, a preventive medicine technician with 3rd Medical Battalion. “It was a great feeling to know we were able to bring a little more happiness into their lives.”

Community relations events are intended to be a very positive experience, said Lt. Gary W. Foshee, command chaplain for Combat Logistics Battalion 3, Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

“Being able to spend time with the residents of the center is not an opportunity many people get to experience,” said Foshee. “Our lives have been definitely strengthened by the courage these people have allowed us to witness.”

The goal for the center is to be able to provide the framework for a life for the residents, said Dr. Paul Baird, a volunteer at the center.

“The center is able to provide education, assistance and most importantly a greater chance at life,” said Baird. “There is life after HIV, it just takes working at it and we are here to help as much as we can.”

Preparing for an evacuation 

Story and photo by

Cpl. Jonathan G. Wright, courtesy of 31st MEU

RAYONG, Kingdom of Thailand  — Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, alongside military services from five countries in the Asia-Pacific region, combined forces to execute a multi-national non-combatant evacuation operation Feb. 12.

As part of Cobra Gold 2012, the NEO brought together all of the military forces from the  U.S., Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia to prepare them to act cohesively while evacuating designated civilians in response to a natural disaster or civil disorder.

“In this practice scenario, the American ambassador to Thailand has ordered the evacuation of designated personnel, to be handled by this multi-national force,” said Lt. Col. Will Arick, commanding officer of CLB 31, 31st MEU. “The exercise is a culmination of this week’s past training, including security operations and non-lethal weapons handling.”

Two rows of tents were lined up in front of an open field, starting with a security tent to search for weapons or illegal contraband. Personnel were then shuffled to a processing tent where their credentials were verified.

“The obvious obstacle throughout this whole thing is the language barrier, which everyone has to try to overcome,” said Lance Cpl. Thomas Bunn, data network. “With that, all the usual complications of a NEO are harder, which is something we all are training to deal with.”

As the civilian personnel made their way through the checkpoints, they were eventually broken up into groups to load into two CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters, part of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265, 31st MEU, which transported them to the USS Germantown (LSD-42) as their safehaven.

While each country’s military forces are able to conduct their own NEOs, this training provided invaluable learning experiences to more easily operate an evacuation operation with allied forces.

“Even if a NEO does not call for various countries to band together, there are still many people working abroad that need to know what to do to assist,” said Sgt. Chattachi Kiripob, a Royal Thai Marine. “Without this training, we would be unable to blend together well if called upon to do a large-scale NEO.”

While only a training scenario and devoid of danger, the exercise is vital in preparing the military forces for contingencies they may face in the Asia-Pacific region.

“We conducted humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts in Operation Tomodachi, and because of events like this one, we were fully prepared and ready to execute a NEO,” said Arick.