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.