in the region through its most important country.
Similarly, as a moderate Muslim state, Malaysia has gained in importance for the United States in its antiterrorism campaign, but it also helps to facilitate the U.S. military presence in the region by maintaining port call arrangements, ship repair facilities, the use of jungle warfare facilities, and low-visibility naval and air exercises that have been in place since the 1980s. Vietnam is also doing a small part to boost U.S. military relations in the region. In 2003, after the highly symbolic first port call by a U.S. frigate since the Vietnam War, Vietnam began participating
as an observer in the Cobra Gold exercises, and agreed in 2005 to send a handful of military officers for language training to the United States under IMET.