Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Victoria Granado | Pittaya Inturat, direct of the Nikhomsang Tonang School, presents a mural with the...... read more read more
In the Rayong province of Thailand, service members of the U.S., Thai, and Malaysian armed forces joined the community in a ceremony March 6, 2025, celebrating the completion of a multipurpose schoolhouse built through an engineer civic action program as part of Exercise Cobra Gold.
Cobra Gold is the largest joint exercise in mainland Asia, occurring Feb. 26 - March 8. This year, allies and partners from India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Republic of Korea and Singapore join Thailand and the U.S. in field exercises, disaster and military simulations, humanitarian aid training and infrastructure construction.
While many military exercises, such as the simulated ship-to-shore beach assault and a small arms live-fire, were taking place, a three-room multipurpose schoolhouse was being built over the course of 36 days. The new schoolhouse was built to provide the Nikhomsang Tonang School of Rayong province with more indoor spaces for students to attend classes.
U.S Army National Guardsman Spc. Athan Quenga, with the Washington National Guard’s 176th Engineer Company, explained that the schoolhouse was constructed in three rotations and phases.
“Each rotation set the next one up for success,” said Quenga, a horizontal construction engineer who operated the forklift and skid steer during construction. “First, the foundation had to be laid, then it was putting up walls and prepping the roof, and we ended with groundwork, plumbing, painting and beautification of the area.”
At the ceremony, Quenga could fully appreciate the significance of the ENCAP project.
“I know that this building will stand and be used by generations to come,” Quenga said. “I’m very proud that we can give future generations of kids the opportunity to grow in something that we built with our partners. I think that is amazing.”
Lt. Muhammad Ikmal Bin Abdullah, troop commander of the Malaysian Army’s 2nd Squadron Royal Engineer Regiment, is the project coordinator for his regiment and is proud of the hard work that went into constructing the schoolhouse.
“It shows great skills, dedication and commitment to accomplish this project,” said Ikmal. “We have the deepest gratitude to the school directors and the participants from the Malaysian Army, U.S. Army, Washington National Guard and the Royal Thai Navy.”
Ikmal also recognizes the training value in the ENCAP and believes that the skills and experience gained in the construction will be shared in the service member’s home country, he said.
The new schoolhouse is surrounded by gardens and play areas and is outfitted to be a place of learning for the children of Rayong.
“The classrooms will be filled with eager students who will be changed by the opportunities this facility will provide,” said Brig. Gen. Michael Ake, Land Component commander for Washington Army National Guard.
Pittaya Inturat, director of the Nikhomsang Tongang School, played a large part in organizing the ceremony and ensured the new building was celebrated with local performers in traditional dance and Muay Thai.
“The U.S., Thai, and Malaysian military worked very well together in building this schoolhouse,” said Inturat. “I watched them teach each other new things while working.”
The presentation ceremony culminated in the exchange of gifts, many group photos, smiles and hugs, and a lunch where service members of all three nations enjoyed the results of over 13,000 labor hours combined.
| Date Taken: | 03.06.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.14.2025 13:32 |
| Story ID: | 492229 |
| Location: | RAYONG, TH |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Cobra Gold: U.S., Thai, Malaysian armed forces build a schoolhouse in Rayong, Thailand, by PO1 Victoria Granado, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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