In a display of enhanced joint capabilities, the Royal Thai Army (RTA) and the United States Army (US Army) successfully concluded Exercise Balance Torch 24-3 on February 15, 2024, following the opening ceremony on January 26, 2024. The culminating event featured a parachute jump from a Lockheed Martin MC-130J Commando II special operations transport aircraft of the United States Air Force (USAF) at Khok Sung Public Place, Taku Subdistrict, Pak Thong Chai District, Wang Nakhon Ratchasima. This parachuting field, strategically located between the Special Warfare Command, Royal Thai Army Hospital, and the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) of the US Army, commonly known as the “Green Berets,” witnessed the collaboration between the Thai side, represented by the 2nd Infantry Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division from the 2nd Army Region, and their U.S. counterparts.
Exercise Balance Torch 24-3 is part of the broader Exercise Balance Torch 2024, designed to enhance special operations capabilities between the Royal Thai Army Special Forces and the United States Army. Notably, an infantry unit of the Royal Thai Army actively participated in the comprehensive training. The partnership between the Royal Thai Army and the U.S. Army will continue with the Balance Torch 24-4 combined exercise in the 4th Army Region, 4th Military Region. The opening ceremony for this phase occurred on January 27, 2024, at the 4th Special Combat Training Company, Sichon Special Warfare Training Camp in Sichon District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. This exercise is scheduled to persist until March 4, 2024. Exercise Balance Torch 2024 serves as a testament to the fortified military relations between Thailand and the United States.
