CAMP MURRAY, Wash. – Military leaders from the United States and Thailand officially launched the fourth annual Enduring Partners exchange June 1.
The exchange, which runs June 1-12, represents a comprehensive synchronization of the Washington Air National Guard and the Royal Thai Air Force, or RTAF, across a greater number of training sites in both nations.
Throughout the two-week period, participants will engage in specialized training tracks, including combined dissimilar air combat, cyber defense, space operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, ground-controlled interception and tactical coordination.
“Enduring Partners 2026 has evolved into a premier training event for both the Air National Guard and the Royal Thai Air Force,” said Brig. Gen. Kenneth Borchers, commander, Washington Air National Guard. “We continue to bring together Airmen and Soldiers from across the 54 states and territories of Guard Nation with our Thai Air Force counterparts for truly invaluable training and enhanced interoperability on both sides. This is an incredible opportunity that gets better every year.”
During the 2026 iteration of the exchange, U.S. service members are operating out of Bangkok and Chiang Mai, while RTAF counterparts are concurrently undergoing training at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Camp Murray and Spokane in Washington, as well as Warren Grove Air Base in New Jersey. This dual-hemisphere approach allows the exchange to address regional stability and disaster response protocols in real time, using the Department of War National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program to bridge the geographic gap.
The exchange reinforces a defense relationship that dates to the 1833 Treaty of Amity and Commerce, making the Thai-U.S. alliance one of the longest in U.S. history. By focusing on high-level technical foundations, Enduring Partners 2026 ensures both forces maintain the readiness necessary to respond to modern crises and support a free and open Indo-Pacific.