US Army/US Marines
- US Marines are in Thailand for Cobra Gold 2020, a massive multilateral exercise that kicked off in late February.
- The exercise involves amphibious assault, evacuation, humanitarian assistance, landmine destruction, and jungle survival training, among other activities.
- During the survival training, US Marines learn from their Thai counterparts how to live off the land, and that involves eating and drinking things that would not normally be on the menu.
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US Marines are eating scorpions and drinking snake blood in the jungle, and no, it’s not because someone forgot to pack the Meals Ready to Eat.
Check out these wild photos and see how the Marines are connecting with nature in a way a lot of people would probably rather not.
Cobra Gold, a large multilateral exercise, kicked off in Thailand in late February, and one key part of the exercise is jungle survival training.
U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Nicolas Cholula
During the training, Marines learn valuable skills, specifically how to live off the land. This includes learning how to build a fire, learning what plants and animals are dangerous, and learning what is safe to eat and drink, the essentials should a Marine wind up alone in the jungle.
U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Nicolas Cholula
For instance, some plants can be a good source of water.
U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Nicolas Cholula
But, when those options aren’t available, Marines can also eat geckos, gibbons, and even scorpions.
U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Nicolas Cholula
Then, of course, there is one of the most iconic aspects of the Cobra Gold jungle survival training, and that is drinking cobra blood.
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall
“We don’t do this for fun, but to survive,” a Royal Thai Marine instructor explained previously, adding, “It won’t fill you up, but it will keep you alive.”
U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Nicolas Cholula
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