US soldier returns ‘home’ as armies train together

Hanuman Guardian drills highlight mutual respect between fighting forces, writes Kornchanok Raksaseri

The ongoing Thai-US joint “Hanuman Guardian” army exercise was a good chance for Specialist Michael Lindemann, now 31, to visit the place where he lived and thinks of as “home” for the first time in eight years.

At 18, he came as a tourist before falling in love with the kingdom. He got a job as an English and maths teacher, and after four years he had learned to speak Thai fluently.

Coming back this time, he learned more about his connection with the country, now as a soldier.

SPC Lindemann, satellite communications systems operator and maintainer of Charlie Company, Brigade Engineer Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team based in Hawaii, told the Bangkok Post why he chose to join the army.

“It’s honourable in many ways and involves doing a job that’s harder than what a lot of people would be willing to do ... Pretty much for soldiers, the answer is always ‘yes,’” he said, highlighting a soldier’s necessary dedication to a mission and the unit.

“You are almost never asked to do anything that your leadership would not be willing to do,” he added.

“We work anywhere and timing can be unpredictable. You might be called in in the middle of the night to protect the area or look after the barracks.

“Soldiers are soldiers 24 hours a day,” SPC Lindemann’s colleague Major Sarah J Thompson from the unit’s public affairs team added, while agreeing that the importance of honour was common to both Thai and US armies.

Besides the shared discipline, Maj Thompson also remarked how well the two nations’ troops had worked together during the exercise.

“In all of the different places that we have had US soldiers training alongside the Royal Thai Army, every single soldier — whether they have been a junior soldier or army senior leadership — without coaching, without preparation has given very honest feedback and said it’s been like working alongside brothers and sisters.

“The opportunity to train alongside the Royal Thai Army and build upon a relationship that has existed between our two nations for years has been incredible and such an honour.

‘‘From the most junior soldier to the more senior officers we’ve interacted with from the Royal Thai Army, we’ve seen incredible discipline and professionalism that mirrors what we try to exemplify in our own army. There are so many parallels as well as things we have learned from each other,” she said.

Although SPC Lindemann was already familiar with the nature of Thai people, the Thai soldiers impressed him during the joint training with how eager they are to learn and also share what they know.

“Thais, especially Thai soldiers, really look forward to showing us what they know, specifically about their country that is unique and special, you know, definitely every type of food you can imagine, something that we might not even consider food,” he said laughing.

Maj Thompson giggled and added that some American soldiers wished to take some Thai fried crickets back home with them, as they had found them particularly tasty.

“This training has provided the opportunity to amplify a mutually beneficial relationship and build readiness in both of our armies. The leadership of our task force on the ground has established a genuine connection with their counterparts in the Royal Thai Army and discovered that they were here to participate in Cobra Gold in 1999, the same year their counterparts participated! So, over twenty years later, there is a common bond that is shared; for the junior soldiers and leaders here now, they can look forward to reuniting with the friends they’ve made here in another twenty years,” she said.

As it was Maj Thompson’s first time in Thailand, she shared her experience.

“I had the opportunity to facilitate a media engagement in Si Racha for a Stryker element training the Royal Thai Army Soldiers during Cobra Gold. On the drive down, we stopped to eat lunch and had about an hour to stop in Ayutthaya and see some of the ancient temples.

‘‘It was absolutely beautiful, peaceful and a wonderful opportunity to see some of the local culture and history that has been here for so many years. The people of Thailand are warm, kind and welcoming.”

On the other hand, SPC Lindemann said it was like him “coming home”.

“Being back in Thailand felt very familiar; the street food and the wide variety of vehicles on the roads, the 7-Elevens and the significant cultural icons — temples, the monks seeking alms and walking around in the morning, the rivers and floating markets — the whole lifestyle.

‘‘In terms of how the city has or has not changed, there seems to be more development, not necessarily new, simply more of the things that I remember from being here years ago. Being a soldier doesn’t affect my feelings for the people in the country, it is, as it always has been, a really special place to me.”

Asked what he missed the most and can’t miss when he has some free time here, SPC Lindemann said it was the street food.

“[In America] when you go to a restaurant and the door is closed, you’re only in that place but [in Bangkok] we can just go downstairs and we would be able to sit down at a table and we’re not only eating in a restaurant but we’re eating in Bangkok itself,” he said.

‘‘ You might be called in in the middle of the night to protect the area or look after the barracks.

SPECIALIST MICHAEL LINDEMANN

CHARLIE COMPANY, BRIGADE ENGINEER BATTALION, 3RD INFANTRY BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM