Photo By Joseph Siemandel | Washington Air National Guard and Royal Thai Air Force group photo kicks off the final...... read more read more
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Wanting to build off the success of the first-ever Enduring Partners engagement, teams for the Washington Air National Guard and the Royal Thai Air Force took part in the final planning conference for Enduring Partners 2024.
“This exercise last year caught the attention of a lot of people, including people in the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill,” said Brig. Gen. Gent Welsh, commander of the Washington Air National Guard.
In September 2023, airmen from the Washington Air National Guard’s 141st Air Refueling Wing and the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing participated in the first ever Enduring Partners engagement with the Royal Thai Air Force at Korat Royal Thai Air Base in Thailand. The National Guard-sponsored State Partnership Program engagement aimed at improving combat readiness and combined interoperability between participants while enhancing strong defense relations and the State Partnership Program between the Washington Air National Guard and the Royal Thai Air Force.
Approximately 230 U.S. Airmen participated in last year’s engagement, which focused primarily on developing advanced fighter tactics, ground controlled intercept, and aerial refueling efforts. The 2024 version of Enduring Partners will focus on a number of different engagements including cyber, homeland assistance disaster response, medical, joint terminal air control and ground-controlled interception.
“In some of my meetings talking about Enduring Partners I was asked what we could add to the engagement,” said Welsh. “This relationship really started with cyber engagements and we have grown this into something unique.”
Enduring Partners 2024 will not just feature the Washington Air National Guard and the Royal Thai Air Force. Airmen from the Oregon, Hawaii, and potentially Montana, Idaho, and Arkansas Air National Guard will be participating in the engagement.
“This will exercise the State Partnership Program’s inter-state collaboration and engagement while increasing training potential and capacity,” said Welsh. “It will also continue to build upon our three pillars, advocacy, access and relationships.”
One key fan of the Enduring Partners engagement is United States Sen. Tammy Duckworth from Illinois. Duckworth was born in Thailand and traces her service roots back to the American Revolution on her father’s side. She served 24 years in the Army Reserves and National Guard before injuries from a 2004 incident when her helicopter was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade fired by insurgents forced her to retire in 2014. She has remained an advocate for the National Guard during her time in both the United State House of Representatives and Senate.
“I have had the chance to meet with Senator Duckworth a few times to discuss what we are doing with our State Partnership Program and she has a vested interest being a former Guard member and from Thailand,” said Welsh.
During the visit to Washington, Royal Thai Air Force members and Washington Air National Guard members talked final plans before the exercise, toured the Western Air Defense Sector and various units in the 194th Wing, and took in some fun through cultural exchanges.
Enduring Partners 2024 will feature more than 30 Guard members from Washington traveling to Thailand for engagements with units in Thailand, while more than 30 members from the Royal Thai Air Force fly to Washington to engage with Guard members at the Western Air Defense Sector, 194th Air Refueling Wing and 141st Air Refueling Wing.
“We will execute simultaneous engagements in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Thailand,” said Welsh. “We see Enduring Partners as a chance to grow the program and continue to build off the successes we have had in the past, while developing stronger relationships for the future.”
| Date Taken: | 02.09.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.09.2024 12:16 |
| Story ID: | 463580 |
| Location: | CAMP MURRAY, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 342 |
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