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Following an exciting two weeks, the second iteration of Enduring Partners (EP 24) concluded with a closing ceremony at Camp Murray, WA, on May 10, 2024. Enduring Partners is a joint training exchange between the Washington Air National Guard and Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF).
“This exchange is not only important to the continuation of building strong relationships with our Thai partners for future generations, it is also critical to our national security strategy and strengthening our connections in the Indo-Pacific Command,” said Brig. Gen. Gent Welsh, Washington Air National Guard commander.
Last year Washington and Oregon Air Guardsmen traveled to Thailand for the inaugural Enduring Partners engagement. For EP 24, Washington State hosted the RTAF airmen, while Washington Air National Guard personnel were simultaneously hosted in Thailand. Building upon last year’s success, airmen focused on five lines of effort: humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and medical; tactical air control party and joint terminal attack controller and combat control team; cyber; ground controlled interception; and space operations. Washington Air National Guard and RTAF airmen took part in conversations and hands-on training together in optimal training environments, which enhanced readiness, interoperability, and combined capabilities.
“The ability to fly Washington Air National Guard members to Thailand and fall in on the units there, and bring Royal Thai Air Force members here to train in Washington, shows that interoperability between the two nations,” said Welsh. “This shows how strong these partnerships can be and how important it is work together.”
Washington and the Kingdom of Thailand have been formal partners through the National Guard State Partnership Program since 2002. The Washington National Guard and the Royal Thai Armed Forces meet regularly through subject matter expert exchanges, engagements and exercises to enhance their mutual capabilities, security cooperation, and people-to-people connections that extend beyond military cooperation.
“We have had a relationship with the Washington National Guard for a long time and it is an honor for me to work with them,” said RTAF Group Captain Sithipol Pomtri, Enduring Partners exercise director.
For younger airmen, Enduring Partners 2024 laid the groundwork for the future of the Washington National Guard-RTAF relationship.
“The Thais are thirsty for knowledge, and even though there is a pretty strong language barrier, we all train with the same doctrine, so when we are out working together, we share a common language,” said 2nd Lt. Matthew Dawson, senior director at the 225th Air Defense Squadron.
Planning is already underway for Enduring Partners 2025, which will continue to expand on the foundations built.
| Date Taken: | 05.21.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.22.2024 12:10 |
| Story ID: | 471899 |
| Location: | CAMP MURRAY, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 132 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Enduring Partners 2024 wraps up after two exciting weeks in Washington and Thailand, by Joseph Siemandel, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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