An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Jan. 10, 2024

Washington Guard, Thais Share Air Search and Rescue Tips

By Joseph Siemandel, Joint Force Headquarters - Washington National Guard

CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 168th General Support Aviation and a Tactical Air Control Party Airman from the 116th Air Support Operations Squadron shared knowledge with the Royal Thai Air Force during two aviation subject matter expert exchanges.

“One point that I think is interesting about this is that we sent an Army Aviation team supported with an Air JTAC to engage with the Royal Thai Air Force on search and rescue and then they pivoted to an aviation engagement with the Royal Thai Army,” said Lt. Col. Keith Kosik, director of the Washington National Guard’s State Partnership Program. “This reflects the future of our program. Increasingly joint in the teams we send, which brings a myriad of capabilities and perspectives, and able to engage across services with our partners. Not just Army to Army or Air to Air, but a blend of people and capabilities.”

The Washington National Guard and Thailand have been partners under the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program since 2002.

From Nov. 27 to Dec. 1 in Lopburi, Kingdom of Thailand, the Washington National Guard Soldiers and Airman shared best practices for search and rescue operations.

“Washington Army National Guard aviation personnel exchanged information and practices with the Royal Thai Air Force by providing aviation medical evacuation, crash site and personnel recovery and distributed adaptive real-time teams for cross-level training,” said Capt. Taylor Payne, 1st Battalion, 168th General Support Aviation, and officer in charge of the exchanges.

In the past few years, the 1-168th GSAB has supported search and rescue efforts for missing or injured climbers and hikers in the state. Discussing these experiences was helpful during the exchanges.

“They were overtly happy with our integration of knowledge and tactics, techniques and procedures for search and rescue and humanitarian assistance,” said Payne. “The exchange helped build a foundation for future engagements and points of interest for defense support to civil authorities’ operations.”

During the week-long exchange, the team focused on search and rescue procedures with an emphasis on personnel recovery. The training also integrated Thai combat controllers for on-site airspace deconfliction. A U.S. team provided a search and rescue scenario and evaluation for both teams to work through during the final staff exercise.

“The exchange was successful in that we shared general knowledge on search and rescue with humanitarian assistance for civilian response and worked through constraints,” said Payne.

The following week, the Soldiers from the 1-168th GSAB traveled to the Royal Thai Army’s Aviation Headquarters in Lopburi to take part in an aviation subject matter expert exchange with air crews from the Royal Thai Army’s 9th Aviation Battalion. The exchange continues a long-term relationship between the two nations' rotary wing communities.

“The team identified aviation operations, training, maintenance, supply, and standards needs,” said Payne. “We also identified challenges and opportunities in order to build a foundation for future engagements.

“It was important to share these stories with them,” Payne said. “It shows that the safety training we do can save lives.”

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Zachary Williamson, right, with the 176th Engineer Company, 420th Chemical Battalion, 96th Troop Command, Washington National Guard, is instructing Soldiers in his unit about tongue and groove roof decking for the restroom facility at Charter Park, Orting, Wash, June 19, 2025. 176th Eng. Co. is partnering with the city of Orting through the Innovative Readiness Training program, a Department of Defense initiative that enables Soldiers to receive training and acquire new skills while providing valuable services to their local communities.
Washington Guard Improves Park Through Innovative Readiness Training
By Sgt. John Giltamag and Joseph Siemandel, | June 30, 2025
ORTING, Wash. – Washington Army National Guard members are making improvements to a community park while also receiving valuable training that can support domestic and overseas missions.“I believe this isn’t just a way to...

U.S. and Malaysian Armed Forces service members pose for a group photo during the Bersama Warrior 25 opening ceremony at the Joint Warfighting Center, Kuantan, Malaysia, June 17, 2025. Bersama Warrior is an annual, bilateral joint exercise sponsored by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and hosted by the Malaysian Armed Forces. This year marks the 11th iteration of the exercise, and the first time MRF-D is participating, enhancing U.S. and Malaysian defense readiness and improving combined joint interoperability. MRF-D is an annual six-month rotational deployment to enhance interoperability with the Australian Defence Force and allies and partners and provide a forward postured crisis response force in the Indo-Pacific.
Washington, Malaysia Strengthen Ties at Bersama Warrior 2025
By Maj. Jeremy Warner, | June 18, 2025
KUANTAN, Malaysia - The 11th annual Bersama Warrior exercise began here with an opening ceremony June 17 with keynote addresses from Malaysian Lt. Gen. Dato’ Zahani Bin Hj Zainal Abidin and U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Michael Ake...

Chief Warrant Officer Four Bill Elliott, Tribal Liaison with the Washington Military Department, Sgt. Isaiah Salgado, Sgt. 1st Class Scott Salmon, Washington National Guard Counterdrug Program members pose for a photo with Washington Attorney General Nick Brown at Tribal Opioid/Fentanyl Summit, May 22, 2025 at the Cowlitz Tribe’s reservation in Ridgefield, Wash.
Washington Guard’s CounterDrug Program Supports Tribes
By Joseph Siemandel, | June 10, 2025
RIDGEFIELD, Wash. - With an opioid and fentanyl crisis devastating tribal communities across the state, the Washington National Guard’s CounterDrug Program (WA CDP) joined forces with tribal leaders, law enforcement and...