Cope Tiger 16 participants aide local school, community

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Aaron Oelrich
  • Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs
KORAT, Thailand --  The Combined civic action engagement allows participating countries in the Cope Tiger exercise to give back and interact with the community surrounding Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base.

This year’s Cope Tiger participants, from the Royal Thai Air Force, the Republic of Singapore, and U.S. Air Force ensured students from Thong Chai Wittaya Primary School, had fresh, clean, cold water to drink by donating a water filtration system to the school. In addition to the water filtration system, the school also received medical supplies, school supplies and sports equipment from the three partner nations.

Airmen from the 67th Fighter Squadron and the 67th Aircraft Maintenances Unit from Kadena Air Base, Japan, took it step further and even contributed funds from their personal bank accounts to support the project.

"I am blown away by the generous donations of U.S. Airmen participating in Cope Tiger, who together purchased ten water fountains and sports equipment for the Thongchai Nue Wittaya Primary School,” said Lt. Col. Jack Arthaud, exercise director for the U.S. Air Force.

The water filtration system will not only give the students fresh water to drink, it will enable the school to re-appropriate funds, which were usually reserved for purchasing bottled water.
“The old water system was broken five years ago when I started working here,” said Mr. Matee Kobtakhop, director of the Thong Chai Wittaya Primary School. “We have been purchasing bottled water for the children to drink. But the cost of the bottled water exceeding the school’s budget and so we had to ask the teachers and parents to help pay for the water.”

Kobtakop continued by saying the new water system will help the population surrounding the school by allowing them to have clean water to drink when special events are held at the school.

“I would like to thank the participants of Cope Tiger for giving our school the water system,” said Kobtakhop. “We now have extra money in the budget to put toward other school improvements.”
The school’s staff members, students, and people from the local community, commemorate the improvement project with a celebration.

The Cope Tiger service members were greeted with local foods, performances from Students and the Royal Thai Air Force Band. After the ceremony, children were able to interact and learn more about the people flying and supporting exercise operations at the neighboring Royal Thai Air Base.

“Even more inspiring [then the generous donations of US Airmen participating in Cope Tiger 16], was the way our men and women interacted, played soccer, and taught English to the students,” said Arthaud.” I couldn't be more proud to be a part of this Cope Tiger team. Events like this demonstrate the lasting relationship of the Thai people and the United States Air Force."

Exercise Cope Tiger 2016 is a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored, joint multilateral field training exercise involving U.S., Thai, and Singaporean military forces. Its purpose is to reinforce relationships by improving combined readiness and interoperability among military partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

The exercise is slated to conclude March 18.