The army was engaged in the construction of Camp Friendship. The mission of the USAF at Korat was to conduct operations in support of US commitments in Southeast Asia: North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Skip to content. Thai Forces fly F-16A/B Fighting Falcons, F-5E Tigers and ground attack L-39's, and Alpha Jets of 231 Squadron. [4]:53 In mid-1965 this unit was redesignated Detachment 4 38th Air Rescue Squadron. [2] Under the agreement, United States forces using Thai air bases were commanded by Thai officers. Nakhon Phanom and U-Tapao were placed under the control of the Royal Thai Navy. My duty was on the 270th Ord.. Det. - Courtesy of 738th Engr Co in Feb'63 and all its contents are property of us-seasia. 103 Squadron flies eight F-16A and four F-16B acquired under the code name "Peace Naresuan I", five F-16A (of six delivered) under the code name "Peace Naresuan XI", and three F-16A and four F-16Bs acquired from the Republic of Singapore Air Force and delivered in late 2004. Defense Secretary Mark Esper added that the new list will be updated as verifiable information becomes available.. Participating American aircraft have included the A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-15C/D Eagles, F-15E Strike Eagles, F/A-18A/C Hornets, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, F-16C/D Fighting Falcons, E-3B/C Sentry Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) aircraft, KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft, C-130H Hercules airlift aircraft and HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters. He received his Bachelors from Northwestern University and Law Degree from the University of Minnesota, both using VA Veteran Readiness and Employment. Laos and Cambodia, however, were not signatories to the Paris agreement and remained in states of war. [15], In 1965, the 6234th TFW and its subordinate units operating F-100s, F-105s, and F-4Cs flew 10,797 sorties totalling 26,165 hours. By the late 1980s, Korat, Takhli, and Don Muang RTAFB outside Bangkok, which was shared with civil aviation, were the primary operational holdings of the RTAF. [2], The USAF mission at Korat RTAFB began in April 1962, when one officer and 14 airmen were temporarily assigned to the existing base as the joint US Military Advisory Group (JUSMAG). The 354th Tactical Fighter Wing ended its rotating deployments to Korat on 23 May 1974 and returned its A-7D squadrons (353rd and 355th TFS) and aircraft to Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. Once completed, army forces moved into Camp Friendship, turning the facilities north of the Korat RTAFB runway over to the Thai armed forces. Korat also housed components of the RTAF and a detachment of No. [16]:209. Heavy jungle on one side of wire, barren , moon scape on the camp side. The USAF officially turned Korat over to the Thai Government on 26 February 1976. Also an Army Vet from Korat Thailand 68-69 who has been denied compensation by our VA. The Japanese Army established facilities on the land later used to build Korat Air Base, and a small support airfield was established there for logistics support of the facility and for the Japanese occupation forces in the area. Also important are the camouflaged Lockheed EC-121R aircraft on the ramp immediately behind. Don Muang Royal Thai Air Force, LINEBACKER II map of B-52's from Andersen AFB, Guam and Utapao RTAFB, Thailand. Udorn Thailand, June 1966-67. * Memories of Camp Friendship * Comm Long Lines Battalion Office Thai workers: Dang, Panee & Boontharik Click on the Guestbook Below to Add Your Name DCA DCSSPO HHC 9th Logistics HHC USARSUPTHAI The US was helping the Royal Lao Government achieve whatever advantage possible before working out a settlement with the Pathet Lao and their allies. MARS Founder of DisabledVeterans.org, a VA watchdog news source that holds the Dept. The location must have been a DoD installation, land under control of DoD or a non-DoD location where service members were present during testing, application, transportation or storage. Also included is the narrated film \"There Is a Way\" focusing on F-105 pilots of the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing and their missions over North Vietnam. The mission of the Wild Weasels was to eliminate SAM sites in North Vietnam. It returned in November 1971, now known as Disco, after North Vietnamese MiGs threatened B-52s and other aircraft operating in southern Laos. According to Prichard, locations were selected or deleted based on criteria including the existence of an official record, to include government reports, forms, unit histories, shipping logs, contracts, scientific reports or photographs. While VA, Read More Only VA Impressed With VA Restructuring PlanContinue, Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print After having three heads of VA this past decade be past West Point grads,, Read More MMQB: What might West Point do with Your Disability?Continue, Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print VA is always quite secretive about VA employee salaries. The new DoD list contains nearly 150 testing and storage locations, with updates that include specific dates of release or containment, as well as 26 additions, including places like Aberdeen. [3], In March 1967 F-105s from the 388th TFW carried out the first attacks on North Vietnam's Thi Nguyn ironworks, destroying its power plant on 16 March. The final day marked the conclusion of an intense 160-day campaign, during which the USAF expended 240,000 tons of bombs. On 23 April 1967 the 44th TFS's primary mission became one of flying escort to the wing's regular strike force to suppress AAA and SAM fire as a Wild Weasel squadron. With their return, the 6010th Wild Weasel Squadron was formed. Anyhow, these early times of modern Thailand can still be found today, especially on the Isaan and even in BKK too where I lived. More than 1,100 people participate, including approximately 500 US service members and 600 service members from Thailand and Singapore. The wing had responsibility for all air force units in Thailand until permanent wings were established at other bases.[3]. Their primary objective was to create an anti-vehicle barrier. 553rd Reconnaissance Wing Batcat Veterans Benefit, is Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base is a base of the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) in northeast Thailand, approximately 200 km (125 mi) northeast of Bangkok and about 4 km (2.5 mi) south of the centre of the city of Nakhon Ratchasima in the Nakhon Ratchasima Province (also known as "Khorat" or "Korat"), the largest province in Thailand . Copyright 2002-2020 us-seasia. The initial College Eye support team personnel arrived at Korat on 20 September 1967. Nonetheless, all runways on the closed or transferred airfields were still available for military training and emergency use. File in PNG (Portable Network Graphics) format, about 2.6 meg in size. Pilots fly both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat training missions. Korat RTAFB is a major facility for the Cope Tiger exercises, an annual, multinational exercise conducted in two phases in the Asia-Pacific region. and defense of Thailand. and Bangkok International Airport (Vietnam era), while landing at Join Your Unit Today Join VetFriends To: Reunite with Unit Buddies Browse Military Units Post Unit Messages Great Discounts & More! HQ USARSUPTHAI LiaisonJoint Task Force 116 JUSMAG Since where he was stationed in Thailand and it was classified he couldnt be sc. 258th Transportation Detachment 260th Transportation Lao. VA presumes (assumes) exposure to Agent Orange for Veterans who served on any U.S. or Royal Thai military base in Thailandfrom January 9, 1962, throughJune 30, 1976. of Veterans Affairs' feet to the fire. With the GAO report, DoD compelled to come up with a more comprehensive list, not go back and revise what they already confirmed.. The plane landed on the highway between Korat and Khon Kaen, closer to Khon Kaen . Camp Friendship was adjacent to the Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base in Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) about 160 miles north of Bangkok.My stay here was basically an overnight one. In February 1972, the 67th TFS returned on temporary duty to Korat from Kadena AB, this time being equipped with the EF-4C aircraft. In March 1973 A-7D aircraft were drawn from the deployed 354th TFW squadrons and assigned to the 388th TFW as the 3d Tactical Fighter Squadron. In September 1992, the veteran was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, type II. Over the last few years, Cope Tiger has widened to include CSAR (Combat Search and Rescue) assets and in 2007 for the first time RTAFB Udon Thani was also used as a base during this exercise. We will never know as these areas are now controlled by the Thailand Government. Government Accountability Office and Agent Orange, a new list of locations outside Vietnam where herbicides like Agent Orange were tested and stored, VA disputes science panels findings on proposed Agent Orange diseases; decision not expected until late 2020. old list, which dates to September, 2018 and was published by the Government Accountability Office in November, 2018, one of the 14 diseases listed as Agent Orange-related conditions, 90,000 blue water Vietnam veterans in line for disability benefits after Justice officials drop appeal, MCPON: Sailors need speedier, easier access to counseling, Hangmans nooses targeting sailor found aboard Norfolk-based destroyer, Tricare now covers new costly insulin device for Type 1 diabetics, Baby on-board? R. at 1510, 1642. Korat was the location for TACAN station Channel 125 and was referenced by that identifier in voice communications during air missions. They were not Wild Weasel aircraft, since they did not have the means to attack radar installations directly. Any help on this?? I stumbled across a report on the internet about bases in Thailand being sprayed with AO. to support an infantry battle group, eg, the 25th Infantry Division I need to contact and receive a buddy statement from any army member that was stationed on Camp Friend Ship Thailand 1967 with the signal Bn that had to work and walk perimeter guard. The EB-66C/E flew radar and communications jamming missions to disrupt enemy defenses and early warning capabilities. His name was John Madden. Sorry to hear of your battle with skin cancer. No family history of pd. Various Japanese facilities were used by the RTAF (including the airfield control tower) until the 1960s. Get an attorney and do your your research. USASCCCCA [3], South of the existing runway, construction of a large air base was begun to support a full USAF combat wing. Attorney. USARSUPTHAI vehicle, power unit or other mobile piece of equipment on base had a large blue Pregnant Air Force B-1 pilot soars to new heights, Army artillery officer dies during assignment in Thailand, Tax scams How to report them Money Minute, Capitol Hill weighs action on two controversial topics: medical marijuana and abortion, Lockheed wins hypersonics contract | Defense Dollars, Go inside a secret nuclear fallout bunker sealed for decades, Veterans Affairs deputy secretary to leave post on April 1, US increases military support for Somalia against al-Shabab, Air Force advisers study use of satellites for tracking moving targets, US Air Force awards Boeing first contract for fleet of 26 E-7 aircraft. 1966-71 256th AG Company Personnel 1967-71 In 2005, he filed a claim for service connection for diabetes based on exposure to herbicides. U.S. Army Camp Friendship, Korat Royal Thai Air Force base, ThailandAugust 1969 Lawn PlantingU.S. Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base (RTAFB) & Camp Friendship Maps Official Department of the Air Force Map Korat RTAFB, dated 1 January 1973. At 11:00 15 August 1973, the Congressionally-mandated cutoff went into effect, bringing combat activities over the skies of Cambodia to an end. emergency landing in Guam) to take part in a With the end of active combat in Indochina on 15 August 1973, the USAF began drawing down its Thailand-based units and closing its bases. Day 1 - Bangkok Airport Pickup + Khaosan Road. [19]:1123. After the end of the war, the facilities were taken over by the Thai government as a military base. Yet. Construction 1965-70 558th Supply Company561st Engineer Battalion Storage area at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB, Map I was stationed at Udorn AB 432ND supply, handled 55 gallon drums containing who knows what. Since the 1980s United States Marine Corps F/A-18C Hornet fighters have used Korat as a base during Cobra Gold exercises. - U.S. Army Veterans who were stationed on some small Army installations in Thailand anytime between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975. CHECO is short for Contemporary Historical Examination of Current Operations. Again, this report was written on February 18, 1973. FYI, here's a photo I took early 1964 before the USAF showed up to fill in the gap between Camp Friendship and the airbase. Samae San Camp, Thai Marine Corps Base US Army base built late 1960's in support of Thailand to keep it free of Communist. Cant remember the number of times, sprayed, even down wind, inside the base 1000 yards. Would you like to make this site your homepage? details of the RTAFB side of the field, details Also, they must have been used in application at test sites, in labs or greenhouses, while being transported on vehicles or ships or stored. 2. It was a modified version of the F-4C, designed in parallel with the F-105G Wild Weasel program. Ultimately, the North Vietnamese invasion of South Vietnam during March and April 1975 and the collapse of the Republic of Vietnam also was not opposed militarily by the US. The 34th TFS shut down, and flew their aircraft to Hill AFB, Utah, in December of that year. Board (AFPMB) that Agent Orange was not used in Thailand. Please help. Denied because my MOS (Job) wasnt a MP or Dog handler. If you are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, The 421st and 469th Tactical Fighter Squadrons flew single-seat F-105Ds, while the 44th flew the two-seat F-105F. USAF Base in Thailand during the Vietnam War. In March 1972 the 39th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron moved to Korat from Cam Ranh Air Base. [3], The 6234th Tactical Fighter Wing (Provisional) was activated in April 1965 as part of the 2d AD with Colonel William D. Ritchie, Jr. as commander. In general, the F-100 would identify the SAM site and the F-105Ds would fly the strike. Having difficult time finding anything about USMACTHAI/JUSMAGTHAI and agent orange exposure. Nakhon Phanom RTAFB, Map of the Flight Line, perimeter If the vehicles could be stopped, then a major quantity of enemy supplies would be halted. Support 1963-71 57th Ordinance Company DS70th Aviation Detachment 13th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 15 May 1966 (F-105F), On 15 March 1974, the EB-66s of the 42nd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron were sent to. My 196667 photos on base and off base action. Activist. Built new barracks fight on the fence line, or 9-10 feet. Air strikes by the USAF peaked just before the deadline, as the Khmer National Armed Forces engaged a force of about 10,000 Khmer Rouge encircling Phnom Penh. [3] The army retained a portion of the aircraft parking ramp for logistical support of Camp Friendship. Please switch auto forms mode to off. [30], On 3 January 1967, Company C returned to Phanom Sarakam to begin work on the "inland road", a 122-kilometer, all-weather highway which would connect the Port of Sattahip with the Bangkok bypass road. 331st Supply Depot379th Signal Battalion 428th - U.S. Army (Retired), U.S. Army General Lincoln making a presentation to the King Cat Lover Quote Vietnam War Cat Life Southeast Asia Family History Missions 6,650 views. 590th Supply & Service (DS)590th QM Company _____________________________________________________________, Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print VA is set to pay Leidos, an IT contractor, $25 million to implement its, Read More VA Pays Another IT Contractor Big BucksContinue, Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print Yesterday, VA OIG touted its big win but left out the obvious, that its, Read More VA OIG Cries Foul, Agency Duped by a Gun-Toting, Felon, Sex OffenderContinue, Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print The unveiling of the VA restructuring plan reportedly drew little outside enthusiasm. 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