Raven Report: 15 MAY 23
The Uncommon at Cobra Gold
The Uncommon at Cobra Gold
Bear Co 3-161 IN deployed to Thailand to participate in Cobra Gold ‘23 (CG23) FTX. OPCON’d to 2-3 IN of 1-2 SBCT (Task Force Patriots). As part of the Task Force, B Co conducted training with the Royal Thai Army’s 1st BN 21st Mechanized Infantry Regiment (Little Tigers).
Each platoon of Bear Co was partnered with an RTA (Royal Thai Army) platoon throughout the two-week exercise, one week dedicated to “urban” training and one to “jungle” training. Although each day had its individual training objectives, the “big picture goal” was to build interoperability with the RTA and solidify our partnership, AKA build lasting bonds of friendship.
Turns out Bear Co was uniquely qualified for this task, thanks to its recent mobilization to Poland as part of the NATO-enhanced forward presence mission. Here’s how it went down in Thailand.
The jungle block and urban block of training ran concurrently, 2nd and 3rd platoons were up first in the jungle, and 1st platoon (borrowed from Cobra Co) hit the urban block. In the urban block, the paired platoons conducted MOUT, Short-range marksmanship, counter-IED, room clearing, and the RTA-led “Combat LFX.” 1st platoon hit the ground running with the RTA-led “Combat LFX” on day one. This event started with a 5K ruck from cantonment to the range.
The ruck packing list consisted of all the individual Soldier’s personal protective equipment (PPE) IOTV, plates, helmets, etcetera. To top it all off, the RTA gave everyone a 5-kilogram sandbag to simulate the weight of the rations they carried. It was already near 90 degrees when they stepped off, but the heat had little impact on their competitive spirit as orderly formation rapidly devolved into a mixture of US and RTA uniforms.
Each Soldier competed with and cajoled his nearest comrade. It was all smiles and sweat through the finish line. After the ruck, a short break, then the range brief, it was a stress shoot with a series of 100-meter sprints to successive firing lines and engagements on scored target sheets.
Every Bear Co platoon would conduct this training, even Dark Rifle 6 and 7 got a taste of it on their visit during the second week.
The “jungle” week consisted of STX 1 (knocking out a bunker, clearing a wire obstacle, and TCCC), weapons knowledge exchange, a known-distance range, and the bilateral squad LFX.
The Bi-lateral SQD LFX was scripted as a Battle Drill 1A and was executed by one RTA Team and 1 US Team with alternating US/RTA squad leaders. It focused on the basics of fire and maneuver, emphasized communication techniques for lift and shift fire, controlling rates of fire, and marksmanship. It was the one event where the RTA and the US truly worked as one element, building cohesion and fostering trust.
The highlight of the jungle week was the Jungle Survival class hosted by the RTA. This day of training taught Soldiers how to find food and water in the jungle, how to make rope with vegetation, how to start a fire, how to filter water, and, best of all, how to deal with snakes in the wild.
Mid-way through the exercise, there was a planned “cultural day” in which we were afforded the opportunity to experience the ancient Thai Capitol city of Ayutthaya, the Ayutthaya Palace (a UNESCO world heritage site), and the Ayutthaya floating market. The over 500-year-old ruins of the Ayutthaya Palace made a spectacular backdrop for the re-enlistment ceremony of 8 Dark Rifles and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience some mind-blowing architecture.
Throughout the exercise, Bear Co consistently impressed our active duty higher headquarters with professionalism, tactical and technical expertise, and the diversity of capabilities we bring to the fight. None more notable than when the 1st Corps and 1-2 SBCT leadership visited the 2nd Platoon at the shoot house during the second week of training. This was the first day Bear Co trained at this facility, the entire week before, none of the active component platoons could get the lights on inside.
However, within 10 minutes of arrival at the training site, 2nd Platoon’s SGT Myer (a journeyman electrician) had the lights on. Additionally, the active duty VIPs got to see firsthand our 2nd PLT NCOs training their RTA partners on room clearing and were blown away. So much, in fact, the 1-2 SBCT CSM said, “that was the best training I have seen in years,” and he awarded SSG Warburton the 1-2 SBCT challenge coin. That evening at the 2-3 IN Commander’s Update Brief (CUB), CSM Enriquez gushed with admiration over the capability and professionalism the National Guard Soldiers displayed during their VIP Day.
Bear Co had a few VIPs of our own that day as well. BG Daugherty, COL Derda, COL James, and LTC Johnson all made the trip, saw the platoons at the shoot house, had lunch with the Soldiers at the Bi-Lateral LFX, and got to see several iterations of the LFX as well. It was awesome for our senior leaders to pay us a visit, share the heat in full battle rattle, and dine on exquisite MREs with the Soldiers.
Bear Co’s mission to Cobra Gold was a complete success. We made it there and back with all men, weapons, and equipment (MWE). Confirmed ourselves as a premier Infantry Company through the demonstration of our culture of competence, confidence, and commitment. Our active duty and multi-national partners recognized us as professionals as we proudly displayed what it means to BE UNCOMMON.
Book of the Week
Micheal Pillsbury’s The Hundred-Year Marathon is highly recommended by military leaders, influencers, and practitioners from across the DOD.
From the back:
“Based on interviews with Chinese defectors and newly declassified, previously undisclosed national security documents, The Hundred-Year Marathon reveals China's secret strategy to supplant the United States as the world's dominant power, and to do so by 2049, the one-hundredth anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic. Michael Pillsbury, a fluent Mandarin speaker who has served in senior national security positions in the U.S. government since the days of Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger, draws on his decades of contact with the "hawks" in China's military and intelligence agencies and translates their documents, speeches, and books to show how the teachings of traditional Chinese statecraft underpin their actions. He offers an inside look at how the Chinese really view America and its leaders – as barbarians who will be the architects of their own demise.”
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