Timothy Suffolk Jr. For a young man from Simi Valley, it was quite an experience serving as an ambassador for peace in a country known for its spicy cuisine, magnificent temples and lush jungles, where deadly cobras are king.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Timothy Suffolk, son of Tim and Bianca Suffolk of Simi Valley, recently participated in Cobra Gold 2010, the largest multilateral military training exercise in the Pacific region.

Sponsored by the Royal Thai Supreme and United States Pacific commands, Cobra Gold is conducted throughout Thailand. This year’s participants were Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, the United States and, for the first time, the Republic of Korea.

“My role in Cobra Gold was working with the Thai people and showing them the proper way to decontaminate people, vehicles and aircraft,” said Suffolk, who is a radio operator with the 31st Combat Logistic Battalion. “I also taught them how to identify different types of contamination.”

Since its inception in 1982, Cobra Gold has become an important symbol of the U.S. military’s commitment to maintaining peace and security in Asia. The exercise provides realistic training, improves efficiency through military coordination and tests military operations.

Service members work on their tactical skills and test their ability to operate in a multinational environment.

Skills included amphibious assaults, engineering, and medical, humanitarian and civic assistance projects geared toward improving the quality of life of the Thai people. The service members also practiced noncombatant civilian personnel evacuation procedures that are used during disaster-relief operations.

The training gave Suffolk a chance to improve his individual skills and experience the culture of other countries.

“This exercise is important because if you don’t identify a contaminated area, people or vehicles can go through it and spread contamination . . . possibly injuring or killing others,” said Suffolk, a 2008 graduate of Royal High School.

Thailand is sometimes referred to as the “Venice of the East” because its canals, rivers and inland waterways still maintain their dominance over daily life.

Instead of retail shopping markets that Suffolk and other service members are accustomed to, floating markets abound with sellers who pack their wares—a variety of tropical fruits, flowers and vegetables—onto small boats and jostle with each other for the attention of buyers alongside the canals.

“Thailand is a nice country, very green,” Suffolk said. “The people here are very nice, always giving us food and drinks, asking how we are. I will remember the culture and people of Thailand forever.”

In an age where it is important for countries to support peace operations, Suffolk and his multinational military partners understand firsthand what it takes to bring many countries together to respond to disasters and offer humanitarian assistance around the world.

Dona Fair works for Joint Hometown News Service in San Antonio, Texas, a service of the U.S. military.