Thailand -- on August 22, Chargé d’Affaires Peter Haymond joined General Tarnchaiyan Srisuwan, Royal Thai Armed Forces Chief of Staff, to preside over the Opening Ceremony of military exercise “Tempest Express” at the Royal Thai Armed Forces’ (RTARF) Center for Strategic Studies at Bang Saen in Chonburi Province.

Tempest Express, a United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) multilateral exercise co-hosted by the RTARF, is the 31st event in the series and is designed to build a cadre of skilled multinational military planners. Exercise participants will receive academic instruction on Multinational Force Standing Operating Procedures, and will practice crisis action planning in scenarios focusing on Humanitarian Assistance / Disaster Relief and Peacekeeping Operations.

Tempest Express is also largest event in USAPCOM’s Multinational Planning Augmentation Team program and this year’s event included over 120 participants from 21 countries. The relationships and interoperability developed in Tempest Express strengthen regional cooperation and collaboration, increasing the ability of participating nations to work together on shared security concerns.