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        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Air Guard, Thai counterparts plan air refueling engagementPublished July 8, 2023
                    
                    By Joseph Siemandel
                    
                    
                    Joint Force Headquarters - Washington National Guard
            **CAMP MURRAY, Wash. (AFNS)  --**Leaders from the **Royal Thai A****ir Force** and **Washington Air National Guard**wrapped up the final planning conference on what could be a historic engagement in the Kingdom of Thailand later this year.


    
    Brig. Gen. Gent Welsh, commander of the Washington Air National Guard, shakes hands with Group Capt. Anurruk Romnarak, Royal Thai Air Force, at Camp Murray, Wash., June 30, 2023, at the final planning conference for an air refueling exercise later this year in Thailand. The Washington Guard and Thailand are partners in the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program.Brig. Gen. Gent Welsh, Washington Air National Guard commander, shakes hands with Group Capt. Anurruk Romnarak, Royal Thai Air Force, at Camp Murray, Wash., June 30, 2023, during the final planning conference for an air refueling exercise later this year in Thailand. The Washington Guard and Thailand are partners in the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program.
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res**Brig. Gen. Gent Welsh**, Washington ANG commander. “The opportunity to have two National Guard states participate together and work with our counterparts in the Royal Thai Air Force on a first-of-its-kind air refueling exercise is exciting for all involved.
Earlier this year, leaders from three organizations began planning a potential air refueling exercise involving the Washington ANG 141st Air Refueling Wing, the Oregon National Guard’s 142nd Fighter Wing and a Royal Thai Air Force fighter group. The idea went from thought to paper to practical concept and now likely execution.



“We appreciate this relationship with the Washington Air National Guard and are very excited about this exercise,” saidRoyal Thai Air Force Group Capt.Anurruk Romnarak. “This should be a very enjoyable exercise, good experience and one that will be historic for both partners.”

While the focus of the conference for the staff officers was the air refueling exercise, the partners also discussed future training and how Airmen from the 141st Air Refueling Wing, 194th Wing and Western Air Defense Sector could support the **State Partnership Program** objectives in the Kingdom of Thailand.

“Events like this make us grow better and closer together,” Welsh said.

During the visit, Washington Air Guard members and Royal Thai Air Force officers discussed future engagements in smaller working groups about operations, logistics and administration or protocol. The group also toured the Western Air Defense Sector, which conducted its first Air Defense Exchange with the Royal Thai Air Force in March 2023, learned about Washington’s Air Support Operations Group and took a flight to **Fairchild Air Force Base** to discuss the future exercise with the wing’s leadership.

Since 2002, the Washington National Guard and the Kingdom of Thailand have been partners in the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program. They have held exchanges focused on close air support, medical aid, cybersecurity and defense and conducted numerous Airmen-to-Airmen conversations.

“These types of partnerships are critical toour **NationalDefenseStrategy**. Through engagements with our Royal Thai counterparts, both in the Air and Army, we are building the trust that is required to ensure both our nations are prepared for threats,” Welsh said. “This program provides a maximum value and often at an extremely low cost, and that happens because of the creativity and ingenuity our Guard members bring to it. This is the true power of the program.”

The State Partnership Programhas been successfully building relations for**30 years**and now includes 88 partnerships with 100 nations around the globe.LR 



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