Photo By Joseph Siemandel | Group photo of soldiers from 96th Aviation Troop Command, Washington Army National...... read more read more
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Washington National Guard members from the 96th Aviation Troop Command (ATC) joined Royal Thai Army soldiers in Lop Buri, Thailand, for an aviation subject matter expert exchange (SMEE) during Hanuman Guardian, March 15, 2025.
"The 96th ATC has participated in this operational detachment training annually since 2023, strengthening our partnership with the 9th Royal Thai Army Aviation Battalion through an exchange of best practices," said Lt. Col. Adam Hanisch, operations officer for the 96th ATC.
The exchange covered topics including air assault, medical evacuation, downed aircraft recovery team operations, forward arming and refueling point operations, night vision goggle operations, VIP movement, the aviation mission training program, and personnel recovery operations.
Hanuman Guardian is an annual, bilateral military training exercise coordinated by U.S. Army Pacific Command (USARPAC) and the Royal Thai Army. It is designed to enhance capacity and interoperability between the two forces.
During the week-long exchange, Guard members and Royal Thai Army soldiers participated in briefings and classes focused on aviation safety and operations, maintenance, and logistics. They also toured relevant facilities and took part in jungle survival training and cultural exchange events.
"Hanuman Guardian has seen increasing success for the 96th ATC," Hanisch stated. "The Royal Thai Army continues to request more SMEEs each year. The program has expanded from three exchanges in 2023 to eight this year."
The relationship has proven mutually beneficial.
"This remarkable 10-year relationship with the Royal Thai Army's 9th and 41st Aviation Battalions began with State Partnership Program aviation maintenance exchanges in 2015. Many Thai aircraft maintainers, technical supply, and production control officers participating in Hanuman Guardian 2025 proudly display 1st Battalion 168th General Support Aviation patches received 10 years ago," Hanisch said. "During HG25, both the Royal Thai Army and the 96th ATC benefited from these enduring relationships, which facilitated communication, built trust, and enabled the development of targeted training plans for the most relevant SMEE areas."
The next State Partnership aviation maintenance exchange is scheduled for August 2025, and the 96th ATC will return to Lop Buri for Hanuman Guardian in March 2026.
| Date Taken: | 03.19.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.20.2025 14:51 |
| Story ID: | 493246 |
| Location: | CAMP MURRAY, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 75 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Aviation Exchange Brings Additional Expertise to Hanuman Guardian 25, by Joseph Siemandel, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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