Hanuman Guardian: U.S. Army civil affairs immerses in local community to learn generational craft
A Thai elder shows fabric made by the textile community in Baan Phun to U.S. Army Soldiers from 492nd Civil Affairs Battalion during Hanuman Guardian in Lopburi, Thailand on March 18, 2026. Hanuman Guardian is a bilateral training exercise between the U.S. Army and the Royal Thai Army in the Kingdom of Thailand. Now in its 17th year, the exercise enhances readiness through realistic training while reinforcing the enduring U.S.–Thailand alliance, one of America’s oldest partnerships, dating back to 1833, and a shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Staff Sgt. Tamie Norris)