US Army artillery officer dies during assignment in Thailand

By KAWEEWIT KAEWJINDA
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — A U.S. Army officer has died while in temporary duty in Thailand to take part in a major multinational military exercise. U.S. and Thai officials say no foul play is suspected. Maj. Andrew Cotter died in the central Thai city of Lopburi, one of the sites for the Cobra Gold training and coordination exercise. More than 7,000 military personnel from 30 countries are taking part in the exercise, led by host Thailand and the United States. A U.S Army statement says Cotter had been operations officer for the 17th Field Artillery Thunderbolt Brigade in the army’s I Corps. He was one of several thousand U.S. service personnel taking part in Cobra Gold, an annual exercise.