CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - During a recent subject matter exchange in Lop Buri, Thailand, Sgt. William Johnston, a crew chief with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 168th General Support Aviation, participated in his first visit with soldiers from the 9th Battalion, Royal Thai Army.
“This was a genuinely rewarding experience,” said Johnston. “The soldiers of the 9th Battalion are extremely knowledgeable and eager to learn how we maintain and operate our aircraft. They were very welcoming and made sure we were well taken care of both on and off duty.”
While the trip marked Johnston’s first experience with the State Partnership Program, it wasn’t the first for his family. From 2008 to 2013, his father, Retired Col. William Johnston, served as the program director for the Washington State Partnership Program. The elder Johnston traveled frequently to Thailand to participate in exchanges and develop relationships with the leadership in the Southeast Asian nation.
“I’ve always heard about the SPP program from my father, and I jumped at the opportunity when it was offered by leadership,” said Johnston. “I have fond memories of Thailand from when I vacationed there with my family. Now, being able to return and share something I enjoy doing is truly special. Combining my passion for traveling with the chance to work alongside foreign counterparts is incredibly rewarding.”
Johnston joined the Washington National Guard in November 2018, about a year after his father retired from the organization. He now works as an aircraft mechanic on the KC-46 Air Refueling Tanker at Boeing full time and drills with the Guard in the same aviation unit his father once commanded.
“Aviation is a big part of my life, and it’s been great to see both civilian and military operations firsthand to become a better aircraft mechanic for the Guard,” said Johnston.
Johnston acknowledges his father passed along valuable advice before he participated in his first exchange.
“He told me to be open to all experiences and to be prepared to make close friends within the program,” Johnston said. “The Thai soldiers have so much to teach us as we share our own knowledge with them. Be a sponge, and find ways to help them however you can. At the end of the day, they’re just as excited to interact with us as we are with them. Not everyone gets this kind of training, so don’t take it for granted.”
It was this advice, along with his own experiences, that Johnston says has strengthened the Washington-Thailand relationship over the past two decades.
“Have an open mind to different cultures and take the time to learn how they operate in a professional setting,” he said. “We were given this opportunity not only to strengthen their maintenance programs but also to build a stronger bridge between our two nations. They work in a tropical and humid environment, so they face different constraints within the aviation community. As we deploy around the world, there are many operator- and mechanic-specific lessons we can incorporate into our own standard operating procedures.”