In the Disaster Relief Training Center of Cha Choeng Sao, Thailand, military members and first responders of the United States, Thailand, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, and Singapore train and exchange knowledge in disaster relief and humanitarian assistance as part of exercise Cobra Gold, Feb. 26 – 27, 2025.
Exercise Cobra Gold is the largest multinational, joint-agency exercise in mainland Asia. It highlights the alliance between Thailand and the United States while strengthening relationships between allied and partner nations.
The humanitarian assistance disaster relief exercise of Cobra Gold seeks to identify and share best practices from first responders around the world.
Exercise participants trained to respond to collapsed buildings, chemical spills, water rescues, fire emergencies, and to provide mass medical care while in integrated multinational teams.
Sakaowrat Somsakulrungrueng, general secretary of the Ruamkatanyu Foundation, a civilian first responder agency based in Bangkok, speaks highly of the opportunity to train with professionals from other countries.
“For example, in the field hospital, our medical team can learn from each country that is here,” said Somsakulrungrueng.
Somsakulrungrueng explained that she and her team could see the different steps and processes each nation takes when rendering aid to their patients.
“Just in this last drill, I was able to watch and learn from a participant coming all the way from India,” Somsakulrungrueng said.
Lt. Col. Benjamin Levno, a United States Marine of 23 years and detachment commander of the 3rd Civil Affairs Group, also sees value in the exchange of knowledge. From his perspective in the Multinational Coordination Center where a simulated tsunami disaster in Thailand played out, he worked with representatives from each country on coordinating response.
“These disasters are more efficiently solved when we have multiple countries participating in the response,” explained Levno. “Everything is interconnected, and all of us here have a vested interest in our partners and allies recovering quickly should there be a disaster.”
Levno considers HADR, and exercise Cobra Gold as whole, to be especially beneficial to the 3rd Civil Affairs Group as they train in disaster response with other nations.
“It gets them out there talking to people and learning how to make the connection between the civilian populace and military units,” said Levno. “There is nothing more important than making sure civilians are protected and informed.”
Tun Thit, a public information officer for the HADR exercise, has been a firefighter with the Bangkok Fire Department for 19 years. Thit watched the fire emergency and rescue demonstration where participants of multiple nations worked together to suppress raging flames.
“This training is critical to responding quickly and with the best practices from around the world,” said Thit. “In my experience, training for a first responder is never over.”
Brig. Gen. Michael Ake, Land Component commander for Washington Army National Guard and director of the Joint Staff at Camp Murray, Washington, sees the field exercises as opportunities to enhance interoperability and readiness with our partners.
“My favorite part of this demonstration has always been the ability of military and civilian agencies to work together,” said Ake. “Because we know, in such a large-scale disaster, it’s going to take the whole of society and the whole of government to work on the response.”