Tag Archive for: gold

Importance of cyberwarfare a key takeaway from this year’s Cobra Gold, general says


A U.S. Marine and a Thai soldier exchange contact information ahead of a Cobra Gold amphibious assault on Hat Yao Beach, Thailand, March 1, 2024.

RAYONG, Thailand — Thousands of troops from 30 nations started for home Friday as the largest military exercise in mainland Asia officially came to a close.

More than 9,000 service members from 30 countries — including 4,500 troops from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps — gathered throughout Thailand beginning Feb. 27 for Cobra Gold, the world’s longest-running annual exercise of its kind.

Over nearly two weeks, those troops made amphibious assaults and airborne drops, fired live artillery rounds, trained for jungle survival and took part in community relations projects and other activities.

Lt. Col. Lindsay Mathwick, commander Combat Logistics Battalion 15 and Marines aboard the amphibious transport dock USS Somerset, said she visited each training area where members of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit were engaged.

“We learned so much as a force,” she told Stars and Stripes by email Friday.

“Some of our Marines also had the opportunity to participate in community relations events with locals – a truly memorable experience,” Mathwick wrote. “But what truly moved me and showed me the impact we have coming to participate in these exercises, was seeing the Marines laughing, eating, and sharing stories with each other during their breaks.”

U.S. Marines and Thai soldiers adjust one another's protective gear during a Cobra Gold evacuation drill in Rayong, Thailand, March 3, 2024.