Osan Airmen support Exercise Cobra Gold 2012

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Eric Petosky
  • 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Four Airmen from the 621st Air Control Squadron here deployed to Korat Air Base, Thailand, with the III Marine Expeditionary Force out of Okinawa, Japan, to support Exercise Cobra Gold 2012.

Master Sgt. John Jones and Staff Sgt. Marcel Wright, weapons directors, and Master Sgt. Christopher Johnson and Staff Sgt. Nicole Koether, command and control specialists, traveled from Okinawa to Thailand with the III MEF by ship. They will participate in the multinational Cobra Gold exercise until Feb. 17.

"Your Airmen are doing simply outstanding," wrote Marine Lt. Col. Eric O'Harra, Marine Air Control Squadron 4 commander. "They eagerly and without prompting assisted in setup of the entire Theater Air Operations Center site. Every time I see them, they are actively engaged in training. I had the opportunity to observe some of the flights they were involved in controlling, and they were doing a superior job.

"Their high level of expertise has been beneficial in improving my Marine's training through information and tactics, techniques, and procedures exchange," O'Harra continued. "Thus far it has been a 100-percent, out-of-the-park win having them here. It is a pleasure working with such professionals."

The exercise is an annual, combined joint training exercise held throughout the Kingdom of Thailand. It is the United States' largest multilateral exercise in the Asia-Pacific region, and it offers critical training opportunities to more than 20 participating countries to improve interoperability.

In its 31st iteration, Exercise Cobra Gold demonstrates multinational commitment to allied forces in the Asia-Pacific region and focuses on regional partnership, prosperity and security commitments.

Events during the exercise include a computer-simulated command-post exercise, field training operations, and humanitarian and civic assistance projects that increase the standard of living for the Thai people in surrounding communities.

Osan Airmen and Marines working together is not new, according to Lt. Col. Michael Thomas, 621st ACS commander, and he hopes training opportunities continue to grow in the coming months. Currently, a Marine Liaison Officer trains alongside Airmen every six months.

"This is the result of two commanders sitting down and making it happen," Thomas said. "The goal is not to be able to tell the difference between a Marine and an Airman when controlling aircraft. Cobra Gold is a perfect opportunity to do that. In the big picture, we operate in a joint environment. We might as well do it now, and further improve Pacific Command's joint capability."

(Some information courtesy III Marine Expeditionary Force/Marine Corps Installations Pacific)