BAN DAN LAN HOI, Thailand – U.S. soldiers participated in multiple Thai-led jungle survival training classes at Ban Dan Lan Hoi, Kingdom of Thailand, throughout the month of February.
The U.S. soldiers are with 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.
The JST was designed to familiarize soldiers with skills necessary for surviving in jungle terrain for extended periods of time with little or no support.
“I was a little nervous to come to Thailand. It was my first time outside of the country,” said Pvt. Jesse Merrill, an infantryman with the battalion. “I joined the Army to visit new places and see different cultures, so it’s been really cool to train here.”
The ability to gather food and water from local resources as well as identify hazards could very well save lives in future contingency missions in the Pacific.
“This training I think is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Spc. Mathew DeJesus, an infantryman with the battalion. “I’m not sure if I would ever get this training without being here at Cobra Gold.”
During the training, the soldiers were taught how to capture local wildlife safely and use it as a food source.
“We learned how to find food, vegetation, animals, fresh and safe water, and how to cook and prepare with very little materials. They had us catch the animals, prepare and cook them so we had the hands on experience,” said Merrill.
The highlight of the food portion of the training is always the drinking of king cobra blood, a local tradition meant to instill bravery.
“Seeing the king cobra was a little scary,” said Merrill. “We were sitting so close to it when they brought it out and I was a little bit nervous. It was awesome. It wasn’t the greatest tasting but it’s a story I’ll tell to people the rest of my life.”
The ability to find clean drinking water from plants and food from local vegetation are key skills learned from this training. However, the time soldiers spent working with their Thai counterparts helped to build confidence in their longstanding partnership, which is one of the main reasons for participating in Cobra Gold.
“I loved working with the Thai people. They’re really friendly and very helpful,” said DeJesus. “They are really hands on and willing to share their culture with us. I loved every minute of it.”
With the Army’s growing focus on the Pacific, training such as this helps to bolster the confidence of soldiers when operating in this type of terrain. Future operations and multilateral training will benefit from the experiences the soldiers had here in Thailand during exercise Cobra Gold.
“I thought the jungle survival training was as neat as can be,” said Merrill. “It is something totally different that I’ve never experienced. We learned a lot, and now I know how to live in the jungle off of plants and animals if I need to.”
Good training for these guys for sure. An experience they will never forget. I just hope they never have to use it in a military situation.