U.S., Thai soldiers conduct combined staff exercise

By Staff Sgt. Samuel NorthrupFebruary 1, 2019

U.S., Thai Soldiers exchange knowledge on military force structure
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A Royal Thai Army soldier asks a question about U.S. unit organization structure at a brief held Jan. 29, 2019, at Camp Nimman Kolayut, Thailand. Exercise Hanuman Guardian increases readiness, interoperability and collaboration between the U.S. and T... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
U.S., Thai Soldiers exchange knowledge on military force structure
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Major Craig Arnold, the executive officer for 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, briefs Royal Thai Army soldiers Jan. 29, 2019, at Camp Nimman Kolayut, Thailand, on the capabilities and organizational structure of a U.S. brigade combat team. Exer... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
U.S., Thai Soldiers exchange knowledge on military force structure
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Major Kevin Power, the chief of operations for 1-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, briefs Royal Thai Army soldiers Jan. 29, 2019, at Camp Nimman Kolayut, Thailand, on the capabilities and organizational structure of a U.S. brigade combat team. This was ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

CAMP NIMMAN KOLAYUT, Thailand -- Soldiers from the U.S. Army's 1-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team and the Royal Thai Army's 12 Infantry Regiment conducted a combined staff subject matter expert exchange Jan. 29 -- 31, 2019, at Camp Nimman Kolayut, Thailand, as part of Exercise Hanuman Guardian.

Each army gave a block of instruction on their respective nation's military unit organization, capabilities, war fighting functions and military decision-making process. Staff sections later broke out into small groups to have focused discussions on their role during each step of the MDMP.

The combined staff then conducted a mini staff exercise designed to further the understanding of each nation's MDMP in order to increase the interoperability between the two armies. Discussions were encouraged to highlight the differences in methodology.

"There are some differences in how the Royal Thai Army is constructed when compared to our Army," said Warrant Officer Brad Connerbeck, the 1-2 SBCT intelligence officer for Hanuman Guardian. "For instance, our units, such as a brigade combat team, may look structurally the same Army wide, but Royal Thai Army units can be built differently compared to similar units depending on multiple factors."

There were also some differences to the Royal Thai Army's MDMD such as using four steps versus the U.S. Army's seven step process, Connerbeck added. However, these four steps included much of the same procedures as the seven.

"These exchanges are important as we continue to foster and build relationships between the Royal Thai Army and the U.S. Army," Connerbeck said. "We now know how they operate as a staff, which will speed up our planning processes if we had to work together in the future."

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