Photo By Cpl. Mark Stroud | Lance Cpl. Miguel Gonzalez, motor transportation operator, Combat Assault Battalion,...... read more read more
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BAN CHAN KREM, Thailand – One team, one fight. It is a concept with which Marines train, and it allows them to fight hard in battle and train hard on the physical training field. A Marine trusts the Marine next to him.
One team, one fight.
It is a concept with which Marines train, and it allows them to fight hard in battle and train hard on the physical training field. A Marine trusts the Marine next to him.
Thousands of miles away from their home bases, the Marines at Ban Chan Krem learned to fight with some new team members. These team mates wore different uniforms, spoke different languages and represented different nations, but they had one thing in common: their uniforms said Marine.
Marine was the common language for the U.S. Royal Thai and Republic of Korea Marines.
“We learned a lot about each other, and we came together as we got more familiar with each other, not just during the training but after the training day as well,” Royal Thai Marine TaGeing Poal Sarit, a rifleman, said after conducting military operations in urban terrain.
The Marines of 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, and Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd MarDiv, both attached to Ground Combat Element, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade Forward, III MEF, conducted joint training with Royal Thai and Republic of Korea Marines during Exercise Cobra Gold 2011, a annual, regularly scheduled exercise designed to improve partner nation interoperability.
“A lot of the complex problems we face in the world today require a comprehensive solution, not just a U.S. solution, but a coalition solution. Also, sometimes not just coalition military, but a whole government approach,” said Col. Stephen M. Neary, commanding officer of GCE.
“What we in the military can do is bring capacity,” Neary said. “We bring helicopters, potable water producing capability and things of that nature and by bringing that capacity to a place in the world that is in dire straits because of disaster, we can be the most responsive because we’re expeditionary.”
Humanitarian missions, disaster relief and combat operations in a forward operating environment where militaries are required to interact with each other, requires coordination and experience, Neary added .
“A lot of the things we do in the Pacific Rim don’t have a pure U.S. face on them; it has a coalition face,” said Neary. “The relationship with Thailand goes back to 1833, and the relationship we have with this exercise is just an extension of the relationship we started a long time ago. The relationship is very important to add stability in the region.”
Joint training exercises such as Cobra Gold teach Marines how to interact and work with foreign militaries in foreign countries.
“The experiences that we’re having here by training with our Thai and Korean brothers requires us to coordinate with them and socialize, not just with the military but with the civilians that live around our camp here,” said Neary. “This is very similar to some of the actions that we would be doing in Afghanistan or other places in the world.”
The training at Ban Chan Krem included field and staff planning exercises such as combat lifesaving, jungle survival and live-fire ranges to notional humanitarian relief scenarios.
“The ranges constructed by Combat Assault Battalion, GCE, and 4th Marine Regiment, GCE, provide a perfect trilateral training ground that should continue to benefit Cobra Gold participants for years to come,” Sgt. Jason England, platoon sergeant, 2nd Heavy Equipment Platoon, CAB.
Partner nations coming together to work on solving common problems in today’s complex environment takes more than just good intentions, Neary said. It takes practice, and the more Marines work on interoperability now, the more effective they will be when they are needed the most, he said.
“It builds a relationship between us, the (Thailand) and the (Republic of Korea). It builds a sense of trust and respect for each other’s military so when there is a crisis, and we need to come together to help solve a complex problem our young Marines are now (noncommissioned officers) and our young officers are now more senior, and they have a relationship and an understanding which equals experience, which will help solve the complex problems out there today,” Neary said.
The Marines from the three different nations learned they had one vital fact in common – the pride in being Marines, according to on Republic of Korea Marine.
“Marines everywhere are the same; we have a lot of pride in our history and our traditions, and you can see that in everyone here,” said Republic of Korea Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Kim, 11th Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Regiment, 1st Division.
“(Nine) days ago. we stood on this very site and talked about participating in the 30th anniversary of Cobra Gold. We talked about how important the exercise was for providing regional peace and stability,” said Neary. “Well, you Marines and sailors accomplished the mission. We started as a Korean, Thai and U.S. Marine Corps, however, by the end, we formed a team.”
For more information about Cobra Gold 2011, visit www.marines.mil/cobragold2011 or www.facebook.com/exercisecobragold.
| Date Taken: | 02.13.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 02.17.2011 13:21 |
| Story ID: | 65607 |
| Location: | BAN CHAN KREM, TH |
| Web Views: | 59 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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