Cope Tiger 2013 Concludes

Exercise Cope Tiger 2013, an annual exercise that brings together airmen from United States, Singapore, and Thailand, concluded at Korat RTAFB, Thailand. “I want to personally thank you for all that you’ve done,” Gen. Hawk Carlisle, Pacific Air Forces commander, told airmen of the three air forces at Korat on March 21 before the closing ceremony. “What you’ve accomplished during this exercise matters a great deal,” he said. A total of some 2,300 personnel and 80 aircraft took part in the two-week combined field training exercise, according to a March 25 PACAF release. The aircraft flew more than 900 sorties, states the release. Air Force A-10s, C-17s, and F-15Cs were among the participating airplanes that flew in training drills ranging from dissimilar basic fighter maneuvering, air combat tactics, close air support, tactical airdrops, and large-force employment out of Korat and Udon Thani Royal Thai Air Force Base. “We tend to focus on the military aspect, but what we learn from each other culturally and the friendships that we build while we are here are important, too,” said Col. Peter Milohnic, US exercise director. (Korat report by 2nd Lt. Jake Bailey)