 Service members from the Army, Marine Corps and Navy working in Thailand for exercise Cobra Gold spent the day playing games and interacting with students at a school for over 400 kids with hearing and mental disabilities. It shows the community, the larger Thai community, a side of American service members that they might not see from their impressions of the media, from just the uniform. I think it shows them that we are just as loving, just as caring, just as happy as other people and that we're people that they'd like to spend time with. It helps that in turn, helps build relations, it helps strengthen the relations between our country and theirs. For service members, I think there is an inherent benefit in going out and serving others, spending time with others, less others who might not have the benefits that you do. I think there is an equal benefit in being able to interact with different people, to interact with different cultures, and to build ties to different cultures. Exercise Cobra Gold is the largest multinational exercise in the Asia Pacific region and provides the opportunity to develop greater military relationships and capabilities. More than 10,000 service members from seven countries are participating in Exercise Cobra Gold 2013, which continues through February 21. From Defense Media Activity, I'm Petty Officer Brandy Wills.