Press Releases
Embassy of the United States of America
Bangkok
February 4, 2009
Cobra Gold 2009 Kicks Off in Chiang Mai
U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission James F. Entwistle and Deputy Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces General Montree Sungkasap today officially opened the annual joint/combined military exercise COBRA GOLD 2009 (CG09) at the Hotel Pang Suan Kaew in Chiang Mai province. Singaporean Ambassador Peter Chan Jer Hing, Japanese Deputy Chief of Mission Yuji Kumamaru, and Indonesian Ambassador Mohammad Hatta also attended the CG09 opening ceremony.
During the opening ceremony, U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Entwistle said, “This week, Thai, American, Singaporean, Indonesian and Japanese service members will take part in a staff planning exercise designed to enhance skills needed for peace and stability operations. This is especially important in an age where all of us have growing commitments to the United Nations to support peace operations.
“At the same time, in locations all over Thailand, soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines will improve their ability to operate jointly and in a multinational environment. Together, our forces will conduct a wide variety of operations ranging from non-combatant evacuation operations to full spectrum combined arms operations…… Simultaneously, Thai, Japanese, Singaporean, Indonesian, and U.S. specialists will undertake an impressive series of humanitarian projects designed to improve their abilities while assisting Thai citizens in Chiang Mai, Tak, Sukhothai, and elsewhere.”
Cobra Gold is a regularly-scheduled joint and combined multilateral exercise held in the Kingdom of Thailand. CG09 is one of the largest exercises involving U.S. forces in the Pacific Command. The exercise offers all participating nations critical training opportunities to improve military readiness and combined-joint interoperability, and capability in conducting multinational operations. During the exercise, there will also be special daily medical, dental and veterinary clinics open to the public in villages throughout the exercise area; in addition to numerous construction projects this will enhance the quality of life of local residents.
Approximately 7,000 U.S. service members will participate in this year’s COBRA GOLD exercise. Participating Thai forces will number approximately 4,000 and will include elements of the Royal Thai Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.
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