Enduring Partners 2026 enhances US-Thai collaborative readiness through specialized exchanges

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Brandy Burke
  • Washington Air National Guard Public Affairs
THAILAND (AFNS) --  

A close up on a sleeve of a U.S. Airman. On the sleeve are two patches. The upper, an olive drab U.S. flag. Below that is a circular patch in the colors or the U.S. and Thai flag: red white and blue, with the words "Enduring Partners 2026" in an arch across the top.

Senior Master Sgt. Naz Brockman, the State Partnership Program Senior Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge with the Washington Air National Guard, wears an Enduring Partners patch at Camp Murray, Wash., on June 1, 2026. Enduring Partners is an exchange that builds joint readiness by integrating U.S. and Thai forces in mission areas including ground-controlled interception, cyber, humanitarian aid and disaster relief, tactical air control party, and space. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Remi Milslagle)
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Military leaders from the United States and Thailand officially launched the fourth annual Enduring Partners exchange on June 1, 2026. The exchange, which runs June 1-12, 2026, represents a comprehensive synchronization of the Washington Air National Guard and the Royal Thai Air Force across an increased number of training sites in both nations.

Throughout the two-week period, participants are engaging in specialized tracks including combined dissimilar air combat, cyber defense, space operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, ground-controlled interception and tactical coordination.

“Enduring Partners 2026 has evolved into a premier training event for both the Air National Guard and the Royal Thai Air Force,” said Brig. Gen. Kenneth Borchers, Washington Air National Guard commander. “We continue to bring together Airmen and Soldiers from across the 54 states and territories of Guard Nation with our Thai Air Force counterparts for truly invaluable training and enhanced interoperability on both sides. This is an incredible opportunity that gets better every year.”

During the 2026 iteration of the exchange, U.S. servicemembers are operating out of Bangkok and Chiang Mai, while RTAF counterparts are concurrently undergoing training at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Camp Murray and Spokane, Washington, and Warren Grove Air Base, New Jersey. This dual-hemisphere approach allows the exchange to address regional stability and disaster response protocols in real time, utilizing the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program to bridge the geographic gap.

The exchange reinforces a defense relationship that dates back to the 1833 Treaty of Amity and Commerce, making the Thai-U.S. alliance one of the longest in the U.S.’ history. By focusing on high-level technical foundations, Enduring Partners 2026 ensures both forces maintain the readiness necessary to respond to modern crises and support a free and open Indo-Pacific.