CHANTHABURI, THAILAND -- CHANTHABURI, Thailand – U.S. Marines and Sailors with III Marine Expeditionary Force met and interacted with students at Ban Khok Wat School Feb. 15, 2017 in Chanthaburi, Thailand. Marines from Combat Logistics Battalion 4, 3rd Transport Support Battalion and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit handed out school supplies and socialized with local Thai children as a part of in a community relations project during Exercise Cobra Gold 2017.

The III MEF Marines and Sailors traveled to Ban Khok Wat School, where they handed out donated school supplies and spent the day playing sports and games with the students, giving the Marines an opportunity to bond with the local Thai community. U.S. Marine Corps Col. Maria McMillen, the deputy Marine Forces commander for Cobra Gold 17, arranged for the school supplies to be handed out to Thai school children after they were donated by a Girl Scout troop in Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan. The supplies were donated as a part of the Girl Scout troop’s community service project that would connect them with children in Thailand. McMillen, one of the troop’s leaders, said many of the Girl Scouts’ parents were a part of Cobra Gold 17, which added another level to community connection and interaction during the exercise.

“For any community relations project out here in Thailand, it’s an opportunity to connect with the community,” McMillen said. “In this case, it wasn’t just the Marines coming to Thailand to engage with the military, but the community in Okinawa engaging with the community in Thailand.”

Cobra Gold 17 maintains a consistent focus on humanitarian civic action, community engagement, and medical activities conducted during the exercise to support the needs and humanitarian interests of civilian populations around the region. Various community projects and events III MEF participated in during previous iterations of Cobra Gold included school construction and repairs, community clean-up projects, sporting events and sharing meals with Thai communities.

“For the Marines, it gives them a break from the day-to-day grind, and a chance to see how the local kids live,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Jon Uyboco, the chaplain for Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 31st MEU. “They get to play games and learn from the kids, and have chance to decompress while building relationships with the local community. We’re giving the Marines a chance to take a part of the day and experience a bit of Thai culture they don’t normally get to experience.”

During the event, Marines and Sailors enjoyed a welcome ceremony presented by the school administration and students, followed by a tour of the school grounds, music performances and sports competitions led by the students.

“It’s really rewarding to get the chance build relationships with the communities in Thailand,” said Cpl. Brenda James, an electrician with Engineer Support Company, CLB-4.