CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - Four members of the Washington National Guard partnered recently with more than 170 employees from the Port of Laem Chabang, Thailand, to continue improving the port’s all-hazard response as part of the long-standing Department of War National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program, or SPP, exchange between Thailand and Washington.
“The exchange centered on an earthquake and tsunami scenario with liquefaction at Pier 1, continuing a series of biannual training events that have been conducted for more than 20 years,” said Capt. Matthew Carey, the exchange officer in charge and medical officer with the Washington Army National Guard. “Our key objectives included reviewing Incident Command System [ICS] fundamentals, enhancing first responder and medical response capabilities in the event of chemical contamination and mass casualties, practicing triage and decontamination procedures, and establishing an incident command center during a complex, multi-agency response. The scenario also tested participants’ ability to operate under degraded power and infrastructure conditions, sustaining coordinated operations through an overnight response.”
The Port of Laem Chabang is one of Southeast Asia’s busiest deep-sea ports. It also has been the site of a twice-yearly exchange between the Washington National Guard and employees at the port, focusing on building response capabilities and strengthening relationships.
“The Port of Laem Chabang is a vital hub for Thailand and the Indo-Pacific region,” Carey said. “There is significant strategic value to our partner port’s ability to quickly respond to hazards and accidents, mitigating economic and operational impact. As the largest deep-water port in Thailand, there is significant secondary and tertiary effects when operations are interrupted.”
Training activities Aug. 18-25 included exercises that tested the integration of the incident command and communication with fire and first responders, as well as the port’s public information team to release statements and interviews regarding the simulated incident. Medical personnel also were tested during triage lanes for hazmat and non-hazmat casualties.
“The technical nature of the material taught requires deliberate inclusion of subject matter experts, particularly those that have experience with ICS, fire, hazmat and medical response,” Carey said. “It is imperative that the SPP program be able to utilize those individuals across the Washington National Guard formation that hold a combination of these special skills.”
During the past two decades, the relationship has grown beyond traditional military exchanges, encompassing disaster response, aviation safety, cybersecurity and humanitarian assistance. This recent event at Laem Chabang is another step forward in a partnership rooted in trust and mutual commitment. The engagement also underscores the Washington National Guard’s commitment to building enduring relationships in the Indo-Pacific. By working side by side at one of Thailand’s most strategic locations, the Guard and its Thai partners continue to demonstrate how cooperation at the local level strengthens security on a global scale.