U.S. Marines with Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) and the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, attached to the 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III MEF, shield themselves from the blast of a breaching charge explosion Feb. 15, 2014, during Cobra Gold 2014 in Ban Chan Krem, Thailand. Cobra Gold is a regularly scheduled joint/combined exercise designed to ensure regional peace and strengthen the ability of the Royal Thai Armed Forces to defend Thailand or respond to regional contingencies.