THAILAND BOUND

A $202 million aircraft paid a visit to Acadiana Regional Airport Wednesday when a U.S. Air Force C17 Globemaster III arrived to carry troops across the oceans to Thailand.

The 2nd Brigade, 256th Infantry Division of the Louisiana National Guard, which includes Guardsmen from New Iberia, Jeanerette, Franklin, Abbeville, Breaux Bridge, Houma and Thibodaux, is heading to Korat, Thailand, to take part in Department of Defense joint multinational training exercises.

Lt. Col. George Kranske, a National Guardsman for 21 years, said the training opportunity will be a give-and-take of information between the 256th and the 1st of 23rd Royal Thai Army.

“This is the first time the Louisiana Army National Guard gets to participate in the multinational function,” Kranske said. “We are very excited for our soldiers to have the opportunity to train with a foreign army.”  

Kranske said the troops also will get a 36-hour liberty while abroad, an opportunity for them to soak up the sights, scenery and culture of Thailand.

Overseas travel is nothing new for most members of the 256th. Kranske said about 60 percent of them have been deployed to either Iraq or Iran.

Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Slone of New Iberia said he withdrew from a military school he was supposed to attend just to attend the Thailand training. Having previously been to Iraq and Belize with the National Guard, Stone is excited about this “new experience.”

Sgt. 1st Class Gus Gary of New Iberia, who has spent time in Germany, Iraq and Kuwait with the National Guard, said experiences like this have kept him in the Guard for 25 years.

Erin Duplechin, public affairs officer for the 256th, said the group will be gone for almost three weeks.

“The soldiers will experience bilateral training exercises including medical attention, map reading and land navigation, traffic control points, Military Operations on Urban Terrain (MOUT) training, hand to hand combat, sniper training and jungle warfare,” she said.

The troops also will have a fun day in Thailand when they will get an opportunity to share American culture with the Thai soldiers and absorb Thai culture as well.