Text fwd: Kadena Airmen deploy to Thailand for Exercise Cope Tiger

* Image Source*

'Capt. Paul Lankes discusses the day's flying schedule with Royal Thai air force Wing Commander Arnon Charusombat March 11 at Korat Royal Thai air force base, Thailand. Wing Commander Charusombat and Captain Lankes both work in the live fly cell for Cope Tiger 2009. Cope Tiger is an annual, multilateral large force aerial exercise conducted in Thailand including U.S., Thai and Singaporean military forces. Captain Lankes is deployed from Kadena Air Base, Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Erika Yepsen)'


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http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123138592
Air Force Link
American Forces News Service
March 6, 2009

Kadena Airmen deploy to Thailand for Exercise Cope Tiger

-"This exercise is a great opportunity to hone our air combat skills while
practicing against different adversaries than we normally train against here."
-"This will facilitate any responses to regional events or contingencies in the
future."

KADENA AIR BASE, Japan - About 170 Kadena Air Base Airmen are deploying with 12
F-15 Eagles to Thailand to participate in Exercise Cope Tiger 2009 from March 9
through 20.

The F-15s from the 44th Fighter Squadron here will fly alongside their Thai air
force counterparts as well as the Singaporean air force and other U.S. Air
Force, Navy and Marine Corps air assets.

"This exercise is a great opportunity to hone our air combat skills while
practicing against different adversaries than we normally train against here,"
said Lt. Col. Peter Oertel, the 18th Operations Group deputy commander.

Cope Tiger is a multilateral combined/joint field training exercise that
enhances combined readiness and interoperability between allied forces,
reinforces U.S. commitment to the Pacific region, and demonstrates U.S.
capability to project combined and joint forces strategically in a multilateral
environment.

The event provides an unparalleled opportunity to improve our tactics between
our allied partners and cultivate interoperability and coalition procedures in
the employment of airpower between the three countries, the colonel said.

More than 2,300 people will participate in the exercise, including approximately
1,200 U.S. servicemembers and 1,100 servicemembers from Thailand and Singapore
forces. The exercise will take place at both Korat and Udon Thani Royal Thai air
force bases and includes 156 aircraft and air defense units, 55 of which are
from the United States.

"We also hope to build personal and international relationships with our allied
personnel," Colonel Oertel said. "This will facilitate any responses to regional
events or contingencies in the future."

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