Photo By Staff Sgt. Divine Cox | U.S. Air Force Airmen from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, assigned to the...... read more read more
Subscribe
Pacific Air Force Airmen from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, and Yokota Air Base, Japan, have spent nearly a month working alongside their Royal Thai Air Force, Indonesian, and Indian Army counterparts building multipurpose facilities as part of an engineering civil action project during Exercise Cobra Gold 2023.
The ENCAP which started on Feb. 8, with an execution date of Mar. 6, is part of CG23’s emphasis on civic action and humanitarian assistance to further regional collaboration in vital areas.
“While here, we are building relationships with our Thai counterparts and displaying our ability to work with foreign nations while at the same time bringing a much-needed multipurpose building to a school with aged infrastructure,” said U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Ryan Stancil, ENCAP Site 5 officer in charge assigned to the 374th Civil Engineer Squadron. “We have 22 RTAF, 14 USAF Civil Engineers, one USAF independent duty medical technician and five Indian Army personnel working on this project and the working relationship has been great.”
CG23, now in its 42nd year, is a Thai-U.S. co-sponsored training event that builds on the longstanding friendship between the two allied nations and brings together a robust multinational force to promote regional peace and security in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
1st Lt. Andrew Morgenstern, ENCAP Site 6 OIC assigned to the 673rd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, stated that his team of 36 personnel have been working diligently since Feb. 7, to complete the building addition at Ban Khao Talat School, that will house a much-needed kindergarten and a library for the school.
“My team has been working with the Thai Mobile Development Unit 14 and the Indonesian Army,” said Morgenstern. “We mesh well as a team and have learned quite a bit from one another. Particularly, I’ve been impressed by the efficiency of the Thais and the expertise of the Indonesians.”
Humanitarian Civic Action programs conducted during CG23 demonstrate a mutual commitment to support security and humanitarian interests of friends and partner nations. These programs improve the quality of life, as well as the general health and welfare, of civilian residents in the exercise areas.
“ENCAPs are quite isolated from the rest of CG23 and because of that there is some unique opportunity for us (U.S. military) to build genuine bonds with Thai and partner nation forces and Thai communities,” said Morgenstern. “Over the last month that my team has been here, not only have we had many opportunities to build relationships but also to learn the culture and pass along some of our own.”
The United States is committed to maintaining our enduring friendship with the Thai people and this exercise demonstrates our ongoing readiness to project forces throughout the region in support of our allies and partners, in order to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.
| Date Taken: | 03.01.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 03.01.2023 12:33 |
| Story ID: | 439430 |
| Location: | RAYONG, TH |
| Web Views: | 300 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, PACAF Airmen assist in ENCAP during Cobra Gold in Thailand, by SSgt Divine Cox, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
