Roundtable: Aid Flight into Burma

Posted By Grim

We were lucky enough to speak this morning with USAF Captain Trevor Hall, who took the first US C-130 into Rangoon, Burma (Myanmar) to carry aid to the victims of the recent storm.  If you listen to the interview, you'll learn a lot about American air drop capacity, and a few things about American security and diplomatic efforts in the region.  As you know, the chief impediment to aid getting to the people has been Burma's own government.

That is starting to change.

We had extra heavy lift capacity in the area because of the Cobra Gold exercises.  Though it needs no introduction to anyone who has been involved with the Pacific Command since 1982, the Cobra Gold exercises are an annual affair.  Since 2004, they have included not just US and Thai troops, but troops from regional nations like the Philippines and Mongolia. 

Doing good works for the people wins their trust and friendship, and helps establish local authorities that can maintain law and education in poor regions.  This year, Cobra Gold focused part of its efforts on training for just such exercises by putting US and Thai efforts together to help build a school in Surat Thani province, southern Thailand.

This underscores the point made a few days ago:  No matter what good you want to accomplish, from disaster and poverty relief to establishing law in the place of war, the US military is a key element for the solutions to those problems. 

Here we see Americans joining with our friends in Thailand to teach each other about how to do good works, by actually doing good works; and then interrupting those good works to go do some more good works for those suddenly in need.  Both the United States and its network of allies are a force for good in the world.

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Comments

[mindy1]

i love our guys doing good. warms the heart