Written by Tom Angstadt
The Arrival
Arriving to the Lop Buri Infantry school at 1700 on a Sunday via commercial bus, it was very apparent we were in the middle of nowhere and the Kingdom of Thailand would prefer we stay out of sight. After all, it was the middle of a global pandemic, and while the Royal Thai Army (RTA) definitely wanted the annual Cobra Gold exercise to happen in some capacity, it was clear from watching the news over the past two weeks that not all Thais were as enthusiastic about the arrival of foreigners. There was yellow caution tape around the cold war era, Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) built barracks we would occupy. The RTA Lieutenant Colonel that was detailed as our sponsor was quick to point out we would stay in the SEATO barracks and our first meeting with our RTA counterparts would start at 8 am the next day. Soon after that conversation the buses and the RTA Lieutenant Colonel departed. After 14 days of isolation in individual rooms in Bangkok it was good to be together as Brown Berets even in the middle of nowhere at dinner time with no real plan for dinner (or breakfast for that matter). Our only saving grace is that we carried the bottled water with us from our isolation hotel rooms and were all excited to be anywhere from having spent the last two weeks in quarantine.
Going For a Run
I did the only thing that seemed reasonable. I went for a run. As the SFAB company commander I wanted to clear my head, assess the environment, and think. I gave some instructions to the Brown Berets from my 12-person team to set up our communications equipment, asked SSG Raya, our logistics expert, to work with the interpreters to figure out what we would have for dinner while I laced up my running shoes, put on my unit T-shirt and decided that the 90-degree temperature and similar humidity level would make excellent running weather. All I had to do was to take the caution tape that was between me and freedom and gently set it on the ground. I thought that ripping it might seem like I had intentionally destroyed it and that wouldn’t be easy to explain but setting it on the ground and stepping over it would allow me the plausible deniability of “I didn’t know”. The government of Thailand and the RTA were still trying to figure out how the U.S. Army and RTA would work together in this COVID epidemic environment. The caution tape served as a symbol of what stood in the way between our two countries. I wanted to bridge that gap.
As I ran, I was assessed two things. First did anyone other than the folks who were detailed to work with us know the rules we were to follow. What was keeping my Brown Berets from working with their RTA counterparts? Essentially would anyone challenge what I was doing by going for a run? Second what did anyone I come across think of having Americans on their base? Afterall, I was making no effort to hide running down the main road of their base saying “Sawasdee Krab” (hello) to everyone I came across. In return for my enthusiasm, just about everyone smiled and nodded or bowed their head in return. This was excellent!. I ran almost five miles and covered nearly the entire base. I purposely avoided the main gates as I figured if anyone would know our “rules” it would be the gate guards and I didn’t want to push my luck.
Value Added
So, in small groups, the next morning we would get up, and go do PT just like we would back at home in Washington State. In this little way, pushing through the caution tape, trying to build camaraderie and relationships with the Infantry school we were assigned to. We wanted to demonstrate resolve and value based on our expertise. We proved our value over the next two weeks working with our friends in the RTA. We would push the boundary, not in a disrespectful way, not in a way to make our partner do things our way, but to push them to do better just like we were pushing ourselves. We wanted to be better partners in Southeast Asia.
