MCB HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii -- The last group of Marines from Combat Service Support Detatchment 79 left yesterday for Thailand where they will participate in Cobra Gold 2001 until the middle of June.
When they arrive at the Royal Thailand Marine Corps Base at Camp Samaesan, they will join the advance party that left earlier this month and bring the total number of CSSD-79 Marines and Sailors to more than 300. The detatchment will support all Marine forces from 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, which is the command element of the exercise.
"Our mission is to conduct throughput operations, base camp life support, and to provide direct and general combat support to forces operating in the vicinity of Samaesan," said Capt. Todd A. Fujimoto, executive officer of CSSD-79. "Some of our basic tasks will be to establish and operate a joint task force arrival and departure center, maintain an airfield control group at the Royal Thai Naval Air Base Utapao, and establish a joint task force for port operation group at Chuksamet port."
Not only will CSSD-79 be providing support to Marine forces in the area, but they will also be conducting exercise related construction projects that will help the Royal Thailand Marine Corps, and the local community.
"We're going to do some road repair up in the training areas, and build a classroom for military training on Camp Samaesan," said Fujimoto. "The chaplain also has arranged to do some community relations work out in town as well."
For many of the Marines of CSSD-79, Cobra Gold will be the first time they have conducted exercises outside of the United States, according to Fujimoto.
"A lot of these Marines have never deployed to a different country and applied their skills in a foreign environment," said Fujimoto. "So this is a fantastic opportunity to train with another country's military. Not only will the Marines learn more about their own trade, they will have a chance to train another country's military servicemembers."
Port operations, construction and transportation techniques are just some of the inter-military training being conducted by the Marines and their Thai counterparts.
In preparation for Cobra Gold 2001, the goal of CSSD-79 command was to ensure the success of the mission. Therefore, many of the Marines considered to be solid performers at their jobs were chosen for the exercise.
"I think we have a very robust and talented CSSD," said Fujimoto. "We're taking the above average and stellar Marines who have proven through solid performance that they deserve to go to this exercise."