A multinational search-and-rescue team rappels three stories during Cobra Gold disaster relief training in Phanom Sarakham, Thailand, Feb. 27, 2026. (Alex Wilson/Stars and Stripes)
PHANOM SARAKHAM, Thailand — Military forces and civilian first responders from multiple countries practiced working through language barriers as they responded to simulated disasters during a recent Cobra Gold humanitarian assistance drill in central Thailand.
Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief, or HADR, at the Disaster Relief Training Center in Chachoengsao province is one of a series of drills in the long-running, annual exercise sponsored by the United States and Thailand.
A Unitree Go2 Pro demonstration shows the robot's search-and-rescue capabilities in Phanom Sarakham, Thailand, Feb. 27, 2026. (Alex Wilson/Stars and Stripes)
Scenarios ranged from firefighting and chemical hazard response to search-and-rescue operations following a simulated building collapse. Participants — some wearing heavy firefighting gear and others encased in full biohazard suits — worked in hot and humid conditions.
In one scenario, multinational firefighting teams used a mix of traditional equipment and newer tools, including a firefighting drone, to battle a simulated fuel line fire. In another, rescue teams combed rubble for survivors after a mock structural collapse.
A multinational team of firefighters battles a mock fuel line fire during Cobra Gold training in Phanom Sarakham, Thailand, Feb. 27, 2026. (Alex Wilson/Stars and Stripes)
The training included nine countries, including the U.S., Thailand, Singapore and South Korea, according to U.S. Army Col. Nick Parker, the HADR exercise director. China sent observers, he said in a text message Saturday.
Teams were typically made up of personnel from more than one country. Despite language differences, responders relied on shared training and experience to coordinate their actions.
Thai nurses assess a victim during Cobra Gold disaster-relief training in Phanom Sarakham, Thailand, Feb. 27, 2026. (Alex Wilson/Stars and Stripes)
The HADR component is in its ninth year at Cobra Gold. This year included increased civilian participation and 36 U.S. participants from the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force, Parker said.
“I think the most important thing is, you don’t want to show up to a disaster and it’s the first time you’re meeting people,” he said during Friday’s event.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kristen Retherford said the joint training helps build familiarity among international partners. Earlier in the day, she worked alongside a Thai counterpart to assess a simulated ammonia leak following a vehicle crash, an exercise that required the use of hazmat suits.
“We build relationships and cross train to where, when there is a [disaster response] and Thailand requests aid from other countries, we’ve already trained and prepared together and we’re familiar with each other,” Retherford, a member of the Washington National Guard’s 10th Civil Support Team, said after her event.
A Unitree G1 robot salutes Maj. Gen. William Prendergast, commander of the 40th Infantry Division, in Phanom Sarakham, Thailand, Feb. 27, 2026. (Alex Wilson/Stars and Stripes)
Although Cobra Gold is in its 45th year, disaster-relief training has become a central element only in recent years, reflecting a growing emphasis on multinational cooperation during natural disasters and emergencies.
“I believe that the strength of the United States is our alliances and partnerships,” Parker said. “So, if we establish these now, when we show up and we know the people and worked with them before, it’s a lot easier.”
