FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, July 5, 2023
CONTACT: Colorado National Guard Public Affairs, 720-250-1053, ng.co.coarng.list.miltarysupport@mail.mil
CENTENNIAL, Colo. – Ten members of the Colorado Army National Guard 104th Public Affairs Detachment will deploy in support of U.S. Army Pacific to Exercise Hanuman Guardian 2023 in July 2023.
This is the first time that the Soldiers’ annual training requirement is in Thailand.
Hanuman Guardian is an annual, bilateral Army-to-Army exercise hosted by the Royal Thai Army with elements from USARPAC. HG23 is the 12th iteration of the event designed to improve humanitarian assistance and disaster relief capabilities and enhance mission readiness and interoperability between the two armies while improving the quality of life in rural areas.
“I’m excited to see the interoperability between the 104th Public Affairs Detachment and the Kingdom of Thailand as the unit prepares to support Hanuman Guardian 23,” Battalion Commander, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jason Reed, said. “Having the 104th PAD serve as the Media Operations Center for the entire exercise allows the Soldiers to train on both their individual and collective tasks in support of a large-scale exercise.”
U.S. military participants are from Active Duty Army, Army Reserve, and the Army National Guard from multiple states including Washington, the state partner to Thailand.
Under the National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program states are paired with an international partner. The State Partnership Program has been successfully building relations for 30 years and now includes 88 partnerships with 100 nations around the globe.
Through the SPP, the National Guard conducts military-to-military engagements in support of defense security goals but also leverages whole-of-society relationships and capabilities to facilitate broader interagency and corollary engagements spanning military, government, economic and social spheres.
In July 2023 the Colorado National Guard celebrates 30 years of its partnership with the Republic of Slovenia.
This is the first overseas assignment for the 104th as an entire unit since 2013. The unit supported Exercise Arctic Eagle Patriot in Alaska in February 2022.