JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii -- Gen. Ken Wilsbach, Pacific Air Forces commander, hosted Air Chief Marshal Napadej Dhupatemiya, Royal Thai Air Forces Command-in-Chief, at PACAF Headquarters March 7-11, 2022.
The trip marked ACM Napadej’s first trip to the United States as the RTAF Commander-in-Chief, and included a roundtable discussion with PACAF leaders, an Agile Combat Employment brief, and familiarization with unit operations.
“It was a distinct pleasure to visit the Pacific Air Forces and meet with the leadership team there,” said ACM Napadej. “The discussions we had are key to future events we participate in together as we continue to learn from one another.”
ACM Napadej has a long history of friendship and partnership with the United States, having attended both United States Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training and later Air Command and Staff College.
Building upon strong those foundational relationships, the RTAF and USAF work toward the mutual goal of peace and stability within the region.
For Wilsbach, the visit was important for treaty ally air forces to share thoughts and ideas needed to keep a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
“It was a great opportunity to host our Royal Thai Air Force counterparts. It isn’t often we get the chance to meet face-to-face as Air Force leaders, so I’m grateful they made the trip to PACAF. The state of the current international security environment underlines the importance of continued discussions and operations with our regional allies and partners,” said Wilsbach. “Our goal is to strengthen our security alliance, continue working toward a free and open Indo-Pacific and upholding the rule of law and international rules-based order.”