Lance Cpl. Victoria Bonaldo, 21, of Philadelphia, Pa., a supply clerk with Combat Logistics Battalion 31, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, spends time helping disabled Thai students practice English during a community relations event, Feb. 24. Marines and Sailors assisted children at the Father Ray Foundation Redemptive Vocational School for People with Disabilities during a port visit after the 31st MEU’s successful conclusion of Cobra Gold 2011. The 31st MEU is the nation’s only continually forward deployed MEU, and remains a force-in-readiness in the Asia-Pacific region. - Lance Cpl. Victoria Bonaldo, 21, of Philadelphia, Pa., a supply clerk with Combat Logistics Battalion 31, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, spends time helping disabled Thai students practice English during a community relations event, Feb. 24. Marines and Sailors assisted children at the Father Ray Foundation Redemptive Vocational School for People with Disabilities during a port visit after the 31st MEU’s successful conclusion of Cobra Gold 2011. The 31st MEU is the nation’s only continually forward deployed MEU, and remains a force-in-readiness in the Asia-Pacific region.

Marines and Sailors with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit ride elephants during a tour of elephant village Feb. 22. Service members were enjoying some much deserved liberty at the conclusion of the 30th annual Cobra Gold exercise. For three decades, Thailand has hosted Cobra Gold, one of the largest land-based, joint, combined military exercises in the world, which started out as a bilateral exercise, but has since grown to include Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea as full participants and dozens of other countries as official observers. - Marines and Sailors with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit ride elephants during a tour of elephant village Feb. 22. Service members were enjoying some much deserved liberty at the conclusion of the 30th annual Cobra Gold exercise. For three decades, Thailand has hosted Cobra Gold, one of the largest land-based, joint, combined military exercises in the world, which started out as a bilateral exercise, but has since grown to include Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea as full participants and dozens of other countries as official observers.

February 14, 2011, U.S. Marines with the Maritime Raid Force (MRF), 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), participate in a Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) exercise aboard the U.S. Navy Ship Jack Lummus, in support of a certification exercise conducted by the 31st MEU. - February 14, 2011, U.S. Marines with the Maritime Raid Force (MRF), 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), participate in a Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) exercise aboard the U.S. Navy Ship Jack Lummus, in support of a certification exercise conducted by the 31st MEU.

Petty officer Third Class Dylan W. Tyce, a religious program specialist with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, and children from Chantha Buri, pose with their favorite Harry Potter books. The children were posing during a ribbon cutting ceremony Feb. 17, which opened a school built by Marines of Combat Logistics Battalion 31, 31stMEU. The school was completed during exercise Cobra Gold 2011, and was an engineering civil assistance project. Thailand is one of the United States’ five major non-NATO treaty allies in the region, and their partnership has helped keep the region secure and stable. - Petty officer Third Class Dylan W. Tyce, a religious program specialist with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, and children from Chantha Buri, pose with their favorite Harry Potter books. The children were posing during a ribbon cutting ceremony Feb. 17, which opened a school built by Marines of Combat Logistics Battalion 31, 31stMEU. The school was completed during exercise Cobra Gold 2011, and was an engineering civil assistance project. Thailand is one of the United States’ five major non-NATO treaty allies in the region, and their partnership has helped keep the region secure and stable.

February 16, 2011, U.S. Marines with the Maritime Raid Force, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, provide security as a U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter lands during a mock raid conducted with Royal Thai Marines in Hat Yao, Kingdom of Thailand, in support of Exercise Cobra Gold 2011. For three decades, Thailand has hosted Cobra Gold, one of the largest land-based, joint, combined military training exercises in the world. A successful Cobra Gold 2011 results in increased operational readiness of U.S. and Thai forces and matured military to military relations between the two countries. - February 16, 2011, U.S. Marines with the Maritime Raid Force, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, provide security as a U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter lands during a mock raid conducted with Royal Thai Marines in Hat Yao, Kingdom of Thailand, in support of Exercise Cobra Gold 2011. For three decades, Thailand has hosted Cobra Gold, one of the largest land-based, joint, combined military training exercises in the world. A successful Cobra Gold 2011 results in increased operational readiness of U.S. and Thai forces and matured military to military relations between the two countries.

High explosive munitions impact a training area as U.S. Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and Royal Thai Marines stand ready to assault an objective in northern Thailand, Feb. 16, as part of a bilateral combined arms live fire exercise held during Cobra Gold 2011. Royal Thai military and U.S. Marines of the 31st MEU, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, and III Marine Expeditionary Force participated in CALFEX, showcasing their ability to work together to accomplish a mission. This is the 30th anniversary of the Cobra Gold exercise, held to improve participating nation's abilities to conduct multilateral operations and maintain theater security cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. - High explosive munitions impact a training area as U.S. Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and Royal Thai Marines stand ready to assault an objective in northern Thailand, Feb. 16, as part of a bilateral combined arms live fire exercise held during Cobra Gold 2011. Royal Thai military and U.S. Marines of the 31st MEU, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, and III Marine Expeditionary Force participated in CALFEX, showcasing their ability to work together to accomplish a mission. This is the 30th anniversary of the Cobra Gold exercise, held to improve participating nation's abilities to conduct multilateral operations and maintain theater security cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

A cobra prepares to strike at an instructor of the jungle survival class being taught to Royal Thai and U.S. Marines during exercise Cobra Gold 2011, Feb. 14. The Kingdom of Thailand is the United Sates’ oldest friend and ally in Asia, and that partnership has helped keep the Asia-Pacific region secure and stable. - A cobra prepares to strike at an instructor of the jungle survival class being taught to Royal Thai and U.S. Marines during exercise Cobra Gold 2011, Feb. 14. The Kingdom of Thailand is the United Sates’ oldest friend and ally in Asia, and that partnership has helped keep the Asia-Pacific region secure and stable.