7/12_Final Day at AFAPS

7-12

            Today was our last day with the Pre-Cadets, and the conclusion to our trip in Thailand. We spent the day as we would normally. We began with breakfast at the mess hall, and after taught English to our classes. After lunch and a small break at the living residence, we were off to play sports and say goodbyes for the final time. The day had many gift exchanges and information exchanges.

            Cadet Winne, Krebs, Deschenes, and I lifted weights for the last time with the friends we had made at the beginning of the trip. It was saddening to leave the Thai culture behind, as well as the wonderful people we had met. The day appropriately concluded with hopes and wishes that one day someone from our group would reunite with a counterpart in the military or elsewhere.

     Cadet Evans

Last day pictures of Battalion 1 gym

Good evening from Thailand,

CRACK BOOOOOM is the sound that our group of cadets woke up to early this morning as a thunderstorm ravaged through the AFAPS campus from the previous night.  The cadets sluggishly stumbled out of their rooms to get ready for their last two days of teaching.  The cadets moved a little slower than usual due to the long and exciting weekend in Bangkok the previous few days.  Breakfast did not help much as one of the cadets said, “Are you guys ready for rice and three things?” as we walked into AFAPS chow hall.  Rice and three things is what we call the food here since it is always rice and three things that are usually the same.  Let us just say that mass-produced food is not the same high quality food that we loved eating in Bangkok and all the historical parks we visited the previous weekend.

The cadets became much more excited as the Thai students walked into the classroom for the English lessons.  Working with these kids has been one of the best experiences in all of our lives.  It is amazing to see how these kids grow and become more open as they get to know us.  Today we decided to show them the Army’s MRE (Meal Ready to Eat).  We talked about how they can last for up to five years and how each one contains over 2000 calories.  If there was any time left at the end of class we decided to show them buddy carries, like the fireman’s carry.  Soon enough cadets had one another on their shoulders and were spinning around the classroom.

After classes many of us went to our usual club activities where we had to say our final goodbyes to all the friends we had made over the past three weeks.  It was surreal how hard it was to say goodbye to some of these kids.  They are just like us, once you break through their shy exterior.  These kids are going to be life long friends with many of us cadets through out our careers.  The relationships that we have made here will be nothing but a benefit for both the United States and Thai militaries.

Dinner today was different than our usual “rice and three things”.  The superintendant of the school invited us up to the hotel for dinner.  We arrived and socialized for a while and then soon we feasted on some of Thailand’s best traditional foods.  Afterwards we watched a slideshow of our experiences over the past 3 weeks the superintendant of the school presented each of us with a special gift.  Each of us got a AFAPS journal and a very colorful scarf used by the Thai military.  Once the formalities of the party ended we participated in one of Thai’s greatest traditions… karaoke!  As the students and staff alike sang songs, the room filled with laughter.  It was a great experience that none of us will ever forget.  This entire experience in Thailand has been something that will never leave my mind or heart for as long as I live.  I feel so privileged to have been chosen to participate.

Respectfully,

Nicholas Deschenes

Cadet Liu in front showing how to properly pick up a casualty for the fireman's carry.  Cadet Evans in the back picking up a thai pre-cadet in the fireman's carry.

The goodbye party in the AFAPS hotel thrown by the superintendent 

Cadet Deschenes taking a memorable picture with the AFAPS rugby team that he has practiced with the past three weeks.

Work Hard to Play Hard

Hello from Thailand!

     After three action packed days of waterfalls, elephant riding, and intense shopping in Bangkok our group was due back to the AFAPS campus. Before we packed up and headed back we had a few orders of business to tend to. We started our morning off with a delicious and nutritious breakfast at the hotel restaurant. Afterwards we headed down to the lobby to be personally interviewed by three PAO's (Public Affairs Officer). For our interview we had to state our name, university, what has been the best part of our trip thus far, and finally something we have noticed culturally that is similar between the United States and Thailand.
     Once back on the grounds of AFAPS we took time to recharge before some cadets headed over the dining hall for a 'Happy Hour' celebration. Don't be alarmed though, a Thailand happy hour is a lot different than an Americans. It is an evening of good food, good music, and tons of dancing. The happy hour is in celebration of the first year cadets receiving their official AFAPS uniforms and also the end of their midterm exam week. It is a nice way for all the cadets to come together and just be able to unwind while enjoying ice cream, soda, and their peers. What I find really great about this night is the fact that the cadets that are musically inclined get on stage and perform. There were over five different performers who's acts ranged from bands that played Thai rock music to DJ's mixing up electronic-dance soundtracks.
     During my interview today I told the PAOs that American cadets and Thai cadets may be on opposite sides of the world, follow different traditions, and lead different everyday life styles but we are exactly the same in the aspect that we know you have to work hard to be able to 'play hard' and it is apparent in the way that they celebrated this evening.

One of the third year band

CDT Hall in the crowd with AFAPS cadets

The first year DJ

Pre-cadets in the mosh pit

Elephants, Trinkets, and McDonalds

Today we left the hotel around 0800 and headed off to the Saiyok Elephant Park in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, we all knew it was a tourist trap (like the ones we build in Rollercoaster Tycoon, Zoo Tycoon, etc. they are all the same) but where else can you ride an elephant. Our cadets along with the AFAPS pre-cadets rode on top of elephants that afternoon. It wasn’t as bumpy of a ride as horseback riding. Luckily this time I got more photos of your precious loved ones so I won’t be disappointing too many followers of this blog. After the elephant ride there was an elephant performance were some of the cadets and pre-cadets got to interact and feed the elephant.

Ben Krebs and Steve Liu on a elephant

After the trip we visited a section of railway connecting Thailand to Burma constructed by Allied prisoners during WWII which many perished during the process. We then traveled to the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery dedicated to those who perished building that railway connecting Thailand to Burma. The cemetery commemorated the Australians, Dutch, and also Indians who died as POWs as a result of sickness, malnutrition, exhaustion, and mistreatment.

Bridge constructed by Allied POWs during WWII

Kanchanaburi War Cemetery

Most of us were snagged in tourist market traps throughout the day and some of us who shall go unnamed has already blew most of their money on trinkets, so you loved ones out there should expect gifts when we get back. Unless those gifts are damaged through the luggage handling process, we forgot about you, or you weren’t worth the 300 baht.

After the tourist traps we said our good-byes to the pre-cadets since they had mid-terms for another two more days as soon as the weekend was over. Our group headed over to Bangkok. For dinner we ate at McDonalds. Apparently in Thailand you can get real fried chicken at a McDonalds, but the most surprising thing was the double fish fillet sandwich and the corn pie. I know you guys don’t want to hear about our adventure/tragic return to fast food, but I personally felt that our followers should hear about this.

Fried Chicken!

Respectfully.

Steve Liu

Erawan National Park

Greetings from Thailand,

Today we left AFAPS at 0600 with our new Thai friends and headed off to Erawan National Park on the Western part of Thailand. The trip took about 5 hours. Once we got there we sat down for lunch before heading off to hike. Lunch consisted of papaya salad, pad see you noodles, grilled pork, grilled chicken, and fried rice. It was delicious! We then headed off towards the falls. It was by far the most beautiful site I have ever seen. You knew it would be gorgeous by the number of tourists that were there. The park is known for its 7 layers of stunning waterfalls. We all hiked to the top; it was about 2 km up but with the rocks that we were climbing and the heat, it felt like a lot longer. Once we got to the top we all got in the water and went swimming. The water was so clear and refreshing, however, many of us did not feel comfortable with the fish nibbling at our feet! One of the Thai pre-Cadets said, "I usually love fish, I eat fish everyday, but I don't like the fish today." Haha, spoken so well. Once we got over the fish sticking to our feet though, we were able to swim away from the edges and get to the falls. We all enjoyed sliding down the rocks and immersing ourselves under the falls. It was a really relaxing day spent with great company.

After spending about 5 hours at the park, we got back on the bus and headed to a jewelry market. Many of us got presents for friends and family. The jade jewelry, bangle bracelets, and Buddha and elephant statues were a huge hit.

After spending an hour at the market we headed to the hotel. We all showered then met for dinner behind the hotel. We had pad thai, egg roles, curry chicken, salad, fruit, and even spaghetti! After we finished eating the karaoke began... Karaoke is big in Thailand so we knew it was going to come at some point. The night started off with Cadet Krebs singing "Sweet Caroline" and ended with the whole group singing "Hotel California" and "YMCA". I have to say I think the Thai cadets were a lot more experienced than us ;) It was a ton of fun though; definitely a great way to get people to loosen up. 

Tomorrow we head to ride elephants! Stay tuned!

Always,
Kelsey

The fish that ate our feet when we swam!

Cadet Kornblut and 3 of the Thai Cadets posing
after they got to the top of the waterfall

A definite must-see place

This picture is not enhanced in any way. It was that beautiful.

Gorgeous views all around

The group before the hike

The rocks were slippery so you had to walk with your hands and feet

We could get used to this view ;)

A monkey stole a woman's scarf!

Our lunch before the hike

6 July: A relaxed afternoon

Hello! We had a great afternoon experience Thai massage, most of us got the best stretch of our lives and felt extremely relaxed afterwards. When we were not getting massaged, we were running, lifting, and playing sports with the Thai pre-cadets. For dinner we went and got some different cuisine (but still Thai!) I had an omelet with pork, it was fantastic!

Cadet Winnie getting his Thai massage!

6 July: Pre-Cadet Regiment Briefing

Good Afternoon, our Friday is off to a great start with a briefing and tour of the Pre-Cadet Regiment and the 4th Battalion barracks. LTJG Canuck gave us a very informative briefing about the Regiment and fielded many questions from us (he could not be stumped!). One of the most impressive parts is that this is the first time all the services work together and it is at a high school level! Afterwards, the Regimental Deputy Commanding Officer presented each of us with a Regiment Commander hat! We then went onto the 4th Battalion which is in honor of the Royal Thai Police, and this year is the new cadet training battalion. This is a very difficult job as the cadets have to be taken from civilians to military members, instill AFAPS core values, work with young cadets who may get home sick, and much more! After a look around the barracks, it is clear that these 1st year pre-cadets are very disciplined, clean, well on their way to becoming future military and police leaders in Thailand.

Maj. Glassman talking to the Chief of Staff 

 LTJG Canuck presenting the history and structure of AFAPS

The Regimental DCO presenting us with Commander hats! 

 Group photo with the Thai officers and our new hats!

 Sharp looking barracks!

 Cadet Liu with the 4th Battalion Commander (Notice he is in the Royal Thai Police!)

Stay tuned for our afternoon update!

White Water Rafting and Dam Visit

Greetings everyone. Today we had the opportunity to go rafting with some of the AFAPS cadre while the cadets took their exams. We also stopped at a few points on the river to swim and relax. Once we reached the end of the line, we got a ride back to the bus and proceeded to drive to the top of the dam that had been looming over us the whole time. It was a great view from the top, looking down one side and seeing the buildings and houses that lay below, and seeing the vast lake that the dam held back on the other side. After a few pictures, we stopped for lunch and a short tour of Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, or CRMA, the Thai equivalent to West Point. After a tour and a stop at the gift shop, we hurried back to AFAPS for a briefing on the history of Thai massage, and then got a free five minute sample! Very nice for everyone. Then it was off to dinner and off to bed. Tomorrow we rise early for a regimental inspection!

Until next time
-Ben

Group before we headed out!

Getting ready for the rapids!

Taking a break to float down the river

The whole gang in front of the dam

The lake on the other side of the dam

Our briefing

CDT Krebs getting stretched out

4th of July!

Howdy All,

Happy 4th of July from Thailand!  We spent the last two days in class talking about the history of and how we celebrate our Independence Day.  It is weird to be on the other side of the world on the day our country was created, and we all missed it terribly.

However, we all still had a great 4th of July!  Today was a study day for the AFAPS cadets, and therefore the students were not in class.  In addition, the AFAPS cadre decided that we ought to have a day off to celebrate our national holiday, so it worked out well.  We slept in a bit (wonderful) and then grilled out at 11 with AFAPS cadre.  We bought hamburgers, hot dogs, and cokes.  We had all missed American food.  The hamburgers were a hit among both the Americans and Thais.  Our greasy American cuisine was exactly what we needed to celebrate right. 

The whole group was decked out in our most American attire.  Many of us had bought shirts during the pre-deployment phase at Ft. Knox just for the event.  One of the Thai officers supplied a grill and brought some chicken wings, fried bananas, papaya salad, and sticky rice (for what Thai meal would be complete without rice?).  CDT Evans rigged up his laptop and played some American country music.  So we ended up with a great little 4th of July party.  We tried (with partial success) to convince the polite Thai officers to eat the hamburgers with their hands.  Then we got on YouTube to listen to the Star Spangled Banner, so we could have a quiet moment.

With about 15 foreign officers and 11 CULP participants, it was a great party.  We were all full by the end with just a few hamburgers to spare.  However, the 4th is not a holiday in Thailand (though it should be everywhere), so the officers soon had to leave and go back to work.  With the rest of our day off, some of us chose to go to the neighboring Army Driving Range.  Although most of us had never swung a golf club before (a critical skill for an Army officer haha), we still had fun.  However, in the  middle of our time there, a huge storm rolled in.  We tried to wait it out with more buckets of balls and then just huddling under the pavillion.  Eventually we gave up waiting and ran through.  All part of the Thailand experience!

All in all, the best 4th I could imagine away from the U.S.  We missed our families, friends, and country, but the Thais made us feel welcome and it was great to be able to host them for once, after all the kindness they have shown us.  We couldn't have asked for anyone better to celebrate our country with. 

Again, Happy 4th to all our friends, family, and other readers back home! 

-Andrew

CDT Evans and Nihal grilling

The international feeding frenzy

The party!

CDT Drumm talking with a Thai officer

CDT Kornblut learning how to make papaya salad

Delicious!

CDTS Krebs and Liu presenting the 'dogs

American cuisine... how we've missed you!

CDT Slininger learning to golf in the rain

Pro Tour