CAMP BANCHAN KREM, Thailand (Feb. 17, 2017) – Chief Petty Officer 1st Class Pairoj Prasansai, a jungle survival training instructor assigned to the Thai Reconnaissance Battalion, pours cobra blood into the mouth of a Marine with 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines during a jungle survival training as part of Cobra Gold 2017. Cobra Gold, in its 36th iteration, is the largest Theater Security Cooperation exercise in the Indo-Asia-Pacific. This year’s focus is to advance regional security and ensure effective responses to regional crises by bringing together a robust multinational force to address shared goals and security commitments in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Markus Castaneda/Released)
Jungle survival training is a rite of passage for Marines and sailors who take part in the annual Cobra Gold exercise in Thailand.
Each year, Thai troops show their U.S. counterparts what plants and animals they can eat and what they can drink if they ever find themselves in the jungle without a prepackaged, American-made "meal ready to eat."
As in years past, Marines and sailors got a taste of cobra blood and other jungle delicacies.
Marines are Snake Eaters
U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. John Arpino describes bilateral training with Thai Marines during Exercise Cobra Gold 17 at Ban Chan Krem, February 17. Cobra Gold is the largest Theater Security Cooperation exercise in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region and is an integral part of the U.S. commitment to strengthen engagement in the region. Arpino, from Lake Orion, Michigan, is a mortarman with Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, III Marine Expeditionary Force. (Marine Corps video by Cpl. Steven Tran)
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