MSC Reservists Spend Time with Students at Human Help Network in Pattaya
17 February 2026
PATTAYA, Thailand -- U.S. Navy reservists with Military Sealift Command (MSC) visited the Learning Center of the Human Help Network (HHN), Pattaya, Feb. 16, 2026, as part of a community relations (COMREL) event designed to promotes mutual education and cultural exchange.
The reserve Sailors are in Thailand supporting Exercise Cobra Gold 2026 (CG26) and the arrival of MSC-chartered steam ship Cape Island (T-AKR 10). Exercise CG26 is a joint multinational military exercise held annually in the Kingdom of Thailand, co-hosted by the Royal Thai Armed Forces and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
During the visit to HHN, Sailors interacted with students through coloring activities and English language conversation sessions. The event provided an opportunity for children to practice English with native speakers and develop their communication skills in a supportive environment.
In addition to the cultural exchange, the school requested the Sailors talk about future careers and options. U.S. Navy Reserve Lt. Cmdr. Joseph Morris, operations officer—a U.S. Naval aviator and current civilian commercial airline pilot—spoke about his career as a Naval aviator.
Morris also showed videos of Navy aircraft conducting carrier landings, eliciting enthusiastic responses from the kids and sparking interest in aviation.
Through engaging anecdotes and fighter jet videos, the kids remained captivated with the talks. The highlight of the visit was a paper airplane activity, where students learned how to build and fly paper airplanes. Morris felt hopeful that introductions to other careers was beneficial to the kids and can inspire some to think about their future.
“I was 8-years old when I thought I wanted to be a pilot,” said Morris. “I met a pilot; he brought me on board the aircraft and let me sit in the captain’s seat. It was that experience that led me to follow my dream and led me to be a pilot.”
Representatives from the HHN expressed appreciation for the reservists' involvement, emphasizing the positive impact of military-community partnerships in promoting educational growth and cross-cultural understanding.
“The nice thing about kids - whether they are here or in the U.S. - they are still kids and similar; they still just want to play, and they still just want to connect with people,” said U.S. Navy Reserve Lt. Nicole Poolman. MSC EPU Atlantic. “I felt the connection, and I thought they were great.”
The HHN is a non-profit organization that serves about 120 children daily. Despite varying degrees of background, Poolman, emphasized that these kids are just like other kids around the world.
“It was a good reminder that kids can go through a lot in life,” said Poolman, who is a hydro-power plant engineer in the civilian sector. “But at the end of the day, no matter where they live, they’re still a kid, and they’re still looking for the same exact things from us adults, such as connection, safety and fun.”
The event concluded with students showcasing their artwork and flying their paper airplanes, reinforcing the value of international friendship.
MSC Far East supports the U.S. 7th Fleet and ensures approximately 50 ships in the Indo-Pacific Region are manned, trained, and equipped to deliver essential supplies, fuel, cargo, and equipment to warfighters, both at sea and on shore. U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed numbered fleet and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.