Cope Tiger Airmen donate goods to local school

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Adam Johnston
  • Cope Tiger '06 Public Affairs
NAKHON RATCHAISMA, Thailand (AFPN) --  Dropping off donations at a Thai elementary school Feb. 10, nine Airmen from Cope Tiger '06 got a chance to take a break from multilateral exercises to spread community goodwill, help a local school and eat lunch.

While all of the 300 U.S. military members kicked in cash to help local school children, only a select few could deliver the goods. U.S. military members deployed to Korat Royal Thai Air Base for the annual exercise designed to hone flying skills and international cooperation between the U.S., Thailand and Singapore.

“We adopt a school every year. But what’s always the hardest part about this annual trip -- deciding who will get to go," said Master Sgt. James Parris, a project officer with Cope Tiger '06 from Pacific Air Forces at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. “We had so many people who wanted to go but we have to limit the visitors so we don’t overtax the resources of the school," he said.

The school provides the visiting Airmen lunch.

Sergeant Parris said supplies for the Ang Huay Yang Elementary School near the base 110 miles northeast of Bangkok were a refrigerator, overhead projector and a variety of sports equipment.

“The supplies were bought through donations collected from Airmen deployed here since the start of the exercise," Sergeant Parris said.

“We had a lot of fun. The children were shy at first, especially the boys, but they got pretty bold at the end," said 1st Lt. Laura Grossman, the exercise weather officer. She deployed from the 3rd Operations Support Squadron at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska.

Shaking countless children’s hands, Airman 1st Class Brock Wood seemed totally at home as an unofficial goodwill ambassador for the Air Force.

“It was nice that I could make everyone so happy by simply shaking their hand," said Airman Wood, a computer specialist with Elmendorf’s 3rd Communications Squadron. “I don’t think that I’ve ever had that much attention in my life.

Tech. Sgt. Clarence Jenkins, a flight engineer with the 36th Airlift Squadron from Yokota Air Base, Japan, was also at the school. Before heading to Thailand, he planned on volunteering to help.

“I would have loved to try to help out more but we’re not going to be here long enough," he said.

Cope Tiger is scheduled to end Feb. 18.