A combined force of U.S., Thai and Chinese military engineers have been at work since Jan. 19, constructing a new multipurpose school facility for Thai children. The project is part of Exercise Cobra Gold 2015, and the engineers’ efforts were celebrated in the building’s initial column raising ceremony.

Sirens of slicing steel and rumbling heavy equipment vehicles have been commonplace during production at Ban Nhong-Plong elementary school, located in Chai Badan district, Thailand; nonetheless, the community’s mayor, Pisan Boonchutanogam, believes that he speaks for everybody when he said the operation is welcomed with open arms.

“We are very grateful that this project is happening for our village,” said Boonchutanogam. “Last night we had a meeting and decided we must help (the service members) and clean the construction area for our opening ceremony Feb. 19.”

Intriguing aspects of the ceremony included the tossing of coins into the structures foundation, binding of a banana plant onto the column and the laying of footers by representatives from each nation’s service. 

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Mark Lero, the construction site’s officer in charge, remarked that - even though this is his second iteration of CG – such traditions were a new, but enlightening, experience. 

“The Thais said that (the traditions) are good luck, so we rolled with it,” said Lero. “It’s commemorative to the hard work each nation has put into this work.”

Despite an intensive workload on all fronts, the combined force has melded together and arduously trudged along to keep on schedule.

And though the placing of these columns was but a small step in this project’s concept of operations, Lero believes his consolidated crew has the ball rolling and is prepared to tackle whatever challenges lie ahead.

“It’s been hard work, no joke; ‘Special Forces engineers’, is what I call them,” said Lero. “What’s going to get us through this next month is teamwork.”