More than 240 US airmen and Thai airmen and soldiers participated in a massive personnel jump over Lop Buri, Thailand, last month, a capstone event during the multilateral Cope Tiger 2012 exercise. The opportunity was unique for the participants, as the Royal Thai Air Force and Army had never jumped together, much less in an exercise with US personnel, according to exercise planners. “We don’t get to drop actual personnel as often, especially in such large numbers,” said Capt. Michael Recker, the Cope Tiger C-17 operations project officer with the 535th Airlift Squadron at JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. During Cope Tiger, Air Force C-130s and C-17s carried out both static-line and high-altitude low-opening jumps over the drop zone. Cope Tiger 2012 ran March 12-23. It brought together US, Singaporean, and Thai forces.
President Donald Trump signed legislation reopening the federal government late Nov. 12, ending the longest shutdown in U.S. history. The move sets the stage for tens of thousands of defense civilians to return to work and guarantees troops will be paid in a few days’ time.
