Not for the Timid or Entitled

How Panama's Crucible is Yet Again Testing Soldiers' Mettle

By COL Keith W. Benedict and CPT Christian M. Hert

July 1, 2026 | Infantry, Summer 2026 Edition

Read Time: < 16 mins

A Soldier assigned to Army Security Cooperation Group - South conducts a reconnaissance mission during the Jungle Operations Training Course - Panama at Aeronaval Base Cristóbal Colón, Panama, on 19 February 2026. (Photo by SPC Richard Morgan)

Welcome Back to the “Green Hell”

The weight hits first. At 90 degrees in March, the air feels oppressive. Humidity and bugs pervade. Sweat glues tattered uniforms to skin, becoming a soggy, second skin. The only option: “Keep Calm and Jungle On” — adapt and complete the mission. Ranger School is truly “Not for the Weak or Fainthearted.” In Panama, Jungle Operations Training Course Class 26-04 students learned the jungle is “Not for the Timid or Entitled.”

The legendary jungle training has returned to former Fort Sherman, Panama — now a Panamanian aeronaval base, Cristóbal Colón — after more than two decades of hiatus. Technology has changed since the doors closed in 1999. The jungle, however, has grown back with a vengeance. It favors no one and doesn’t care about the outcome of a conflict. Damage done to the flora is eventually reclaimed by nature. Those prepared for this environment can wear down an adversary. They preserve combat power, concentrate effects, and ambush a weary, dehydrated foe.

To fully understand the return to Panama, it helps to listen to the Army’s history and the stories of new jungle operators. Training in these jungles once forged World War II and Vietnam Soldiers; now it is shaping a new generation. To appreciate this continuity, the following section explores the rebirth of the “Green Hell” from the perspectives of students, instructors, and veterans, directly linking past lessons to current challenges.

Historical Significance (The Legends of the Jungle)

After heavy casualties against Japanese forces in the Pacific, the Army sought specialized jungle training. In the jungle, Soldiers face threats not only from an opposing force but also from disease, insects, wildlife, and oppressive humidity. During the Guadalcanal Campaign, Soldiers documented more than 10,000 Army cases of malaria. Five of six Army hospital patients suffered disease or non-battle injuries. Similarly, the 1st Marine Division had 650 killed and 1,200 wounded but 8,580 malaria casualties, often repeatedly.1

Fighting in New Guinea was even worse for the 32nd Infantry Division: The starting strength of 10,825 men consisted of three combat teams. Casualties totaled 9,688, that included 7,125 mostly from disease. In the 126th Regiment, only 32 officers and 579 enlisted men survived out of 3,040 after 40 days. Most losses stemmed from malaria, dysentery, and exhaustion.2This drove the Army to seek a jungle training site: Panama.

The History of Fort Sherman

Fort Sherman once stood as a symbol of American power in Latin America. It embodied America’s commitment to defending the strategic canal. Development began in 1911 on Toro Point with construction starting in 1912, a strategic peninsula that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Panama Canal. Before 1951, this base served as mainly coastal artillery defense, mere miles from the Spanish fortifications at Castillo de San Lorenzo, dating from 1598.3Beyond the artillery sites, Fort Sherman offered ample access to the primary jungle. This allowed for training in harsh conditions as early as 1916, just two years after the canal’s completion. To prepare for the Pacific, training in Panama expanded during World War II and hosted legendary units like the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion, which trained for a combat jump into German-controlled Martinique and later fought with distinction in Europe.

The Forging of the Jungle Expert

After World War II, the Army committed to formalizing and sustaining an institution dedicated to jungle mastery. In 1951, the Army repurposed Fort Sherman’s vast, undeveloped jungles. It established the Jungle Operations Training Center (JOTC), and at its peak during the Cold War, JOTC trained about 9,000 U.S. American military personnel annually. This included Army Infantrymen, Rangers, Special Forces, Marines, and soldiers from allied nations worldwide. The center became a vital hub for international security cooperation.4

JOTC became known for its “appalling realism” in jungle survival, and training pushed Soldiers to their limits. Waterborne operations took place on the crocodile- and shark-filled Chagres River. Land navigation challenged unit cohesion. Soldiers ate snakes. Cadre fired automatic weapons ahead of trainees to deter large reptiles.

Before confronting an enemy, Soldiers had to overcome the jungle. Dense vegetation limited visibility and fields of fire to under 30 meters. Heavy humidity disrupted communications. Early night-vision devices failed under triple canopy. Tripping hazards and black palm made movement difficult. Dangerous wildlife and poisonous plants were everywhere. One key lesson was clear: Soldiers must master the jungle before focusing on the enemy.

A Soldier blows into a coconut during the fire technique portion of the Jungle Operations Training Course - Panama at Aeronaval Base Cristóbal Colón on 1 May 2026 (Photo by SPC Richard Morgan)

Training for Vietnam reduced individual risk. Vietnam also revealed the importance of training entire fighting units, just as it had done with the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion, among others, during WWII. In 1976, JOTC shifted to full battalion training, testing adaptation to jungle conditions and awarding the Jungle Expert patch to successful units. JOTC also offered a 10-day air crew survival course and a four-week engineers’ course.

CSM (Retired) Wayne Wahlenmeier — a veteran of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, and Army Ranger Training Brigade — cited Fort Sherman’s Jungle School as foundational.5He looked up to Soldiers with the Ranger Tab and Jungle Expert patch, and as a private first class at JOTC in 1994, the jungle was unlike anything he’d experienced stateside. Fort Sherman reminded him of his father’s service in Vietnam. He went south to learn the skills and endure the hardships his father had experienced. Decades later, Wahlenmeier recalled Panama’s jungle as his most formative training, boosting his confidence for Ranger School. His advice: “Respect the jungle.” Overconfidence brings failure in this unforgiving setting.

The End of an Era

The decision to close Fort Sherman followed the 1977 Torrijos-Carter Treaties, which called for the United States to hand over the canal and all bases to Panama. Training continued and Operation Just Cause in 1989 strained relations, but the treaties held. In June 1999, the jungle course graduated its final class, and the Jungle Operations Training Battalion was inactivated, ending 88 years of U.S. presence at Toro Point and creating a gap in jungle expertise.6

In 2014, the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii reopened the jungle course to relearn jungle mobility, tracking, waterborne operations, combat patrolling, survival, and other training. This course became a 12-day program of instruction (POI) under the Infantry School.7That troop school — now an official course presenting additional skill identifier (ASI) J2 — serves as the basis for what Army Security Cooperation Group-South (ASCG-S) is rebuilding with Panamanian partners.

The Modern Jungle Fighter (Training for the Future Fight)8

Thanks to Panamanian hospitality, Soldiers are training once again under triple canopy, based on a memorandum of understanding signed in April 2025. LTC Andrew Eagen, commander of 3rd Squadron, ASCG-S and officer in charge of the Jungle Operations Training Center, understands U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Commanding General GEN Joseph Ryan’s intent. “We are here to help the Army regain lost capability,” LTC Eagen stated. “The jungle is everywhere in the SOUTHCOM [Southern Command] area. Success requires not just surviving but winning.” Regaining jungle capability is critical for future operations in these areas.

Though now focused on individual training, 3rd Squadron’s cadre is integrating new capabilities. The program aims to defeat a modern, technological foe. “We’re not just fighting in the jungle, we’re fighting a near-peer adversary in the jungle,” said LTC Eagen. “How do we find them? How do we use the jungle to kill them?” Graduates can answer these questions, and soon units will shape Army lessons across warfighting functions.

The Partnership: Brothers in the Jungle

Today’s jungle school stands out for its integrated partnership with Panamanian forces. The Panamanian instructors are resident experts, fully invested in teaching survival on their home ground. “For me, the jungle is my life,” said Panamanian 1SG Albis Fajardo, a senior instructor with more than 20 years of experience. “I feel proud to represent my country,” added Sub Lt. Frank Degaiza. “For us, it’s an honor to teach the U.S. military our jungle knowledge.”

This spirit of unity also reaches students. SGT2 Montezuma Armando, a Panamanian student going through the course remarked, “Here, we are all Soldiers together. We help the Americans understand how to survive and live in the jungle, and they teach us their tactics; we are brothers in the jungle.”

This powerful combination of expertise is recognized by leadership as the key to the school’s success. “Working with the Panamanians has been amazing,” said LTC Eagen. “They are the experts in this terrain. My instructors are experts in U.S. doctrine. And when you combine the two, you get a world-class jungle school.”

1SG Fajardo, who graduated from the U.S. Army’s jungle school in 1998, agreed that the collaboration is a decisive force multiplier. “The most important thing for me is the partnership,” he stated. “The U.S. has the technology and the resources. We have experience in this place. Together, we can do anything.”

The Curriculum: Old-School Grit Meets Modern Threats: Instructors’ Perspective

The course’s answer to modern threats lies in a curriculum created by both American and Panamanian forces, blending timeless jungle wisdom with cutting-edge doctrine. The school is unique, with instructor cadre that mixes seasoned U.S. Army NCOs with Panamanian naval infantry experts. The core focus is mastering the basics as technology is often the first casualty in the jungle, forcing a return to fundamental Soldiering skills and even unlearning lessons forced at other training centers around the globe.

Instructors emphasize the necessary mindset shift. “Here, students need to turn off their Army brain and turn on their jungle brain…,” explained SSG Daniel Gonzales, an instructor on the Tracking Team. “The world is always changing, along with tactics, and students need to be able to adapt to it.” This means being open-minded and ready to learn.

SFC Christopher Alther of the Survival Team teaches students to live, hunt, and sleep in the jungle, stressing that “technology may evolve, but the jungle remains the same.” He noted that basic skills like sourcing water and building rafts are critical when traditional logistics fail.

SSG Clayton Kemp, a mobility instructor, highlighted the unforgiving nature of the environment where attention to detail is paramount: “The jungle doesn’t forgive. If you don’t have attention to detail or make the wrong mistake, that’s it.”

Success, according to tracking instructor SSG Daniel Urban, is found in “the individual that is paying attention, curious, taking notes, asking questions.” His biggest piece of advice for attendees: “Come motivated. We don’t want the lazy or the weak. We are looking for motivated Soldiers and leaders.”

Soldiers conduct a reconnaissance mission during the Jungle Operations Training Course - Panama on 19 February 2026. (Photo by SPC Richard Morgan)

The Student’s Crucible: A Journey Through the Green Hell

JOTC 26-04 attendees jumped at the opportunity to go through the 18-day course. SFC Michael Spooner of 1st Battalion, ASCG-S stated, “I’ve been in the Army for 16 years, and I’m very excited to be going through Jungle School in Panama. I have had friends that went through the training in the 1990s and wanted to test myself.” SSG Davis Schrock from 6th Battalion, ASCG-S said enthusiastically, “I’m very excited to be here. I wanted to be in the last class [26-03, for which there were nine Soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division and nine from ASCG-S], but wasn’t able to get a spot.”

Despite the cadre’s admirable efforts, the jungle ultimately served as the primary instructors. SSG Logan Lloyd of the 10th Mountain Division described his initial shock: “I thought the environment would be similar to Hawaii, but it’s very different. Everything here can potentially kill or hurt you.” This sentiment is echoed by the class honor graduate, SSG Jeremy Chadwick of the 82nd Airborne Division. Also a graduate of the Lightning Academy course in Hawaii, SSG Chadwick stated, “We do land navigation and field exercises stateside. It’s nothing compared to what we experienced here. Terrain association is key in a jungle environment, and you cannot depend on dead reckoning because the elevation and vegetation change drastically here. You have to cut your way through the jungle in certain areas.”

The Gut Check

After in-processing on Day 1, students are thrown directly into a Combat Water Survival Assessment (CWSA), separating those who can swim and function in water while wearing their uniform and equipment. Day 2 starts with a 5K terrain run, which they must complete in 40 minutes or less carrying a rifle and wearing a front load carrier. This event is a gut check through the mud and hills of Cristóbal Colón, designed to test physical resilience from the outset. “The humidity, the constant wetness... It’s equivalent to a sauna, and then add running a 5K through the jungle, and that’s only the beginning of the school,” said SFC Spooner. CWSA and the 5K are both critical requirements; students who fail either event will continue training but not earn the ASI. Following the 5K, students receive instruction in medical training in a jungle environment (jungle medicine, medical evacuation, field hemorrhage control, and modern splinting techniques) as well as hands-on knot-tying training.

Learning the Basics and Surviving in the Jungle

Students then learn the basics of living and operating in a jungle environment. They receive hands-on instruction on sharpening and safely using machetes. After learning about local flora and fauna procurement, they are tested on the mandatory knots used throughout the course, and then receive blocks of instruction on animal trapping, fire building, and shelter crafting, before finally conducting a survival day practical exercise in which students eat only what they can catch and safely process. SSG Lloyd explained that the “most useful piece of equipment during this course is the machete because you not only cut through the jungle, but you can make essential tools with it (cups, forks, spoons, fishing pole).”

A member of the Servicio Nacional Aeronaval applies camouflage during the culminating event of Jungle Operations Training Course - Panama on 26 March 2026. (Photo by SPC Trey Woodard)

Rope Systems and Jungle Techniques

Students then transition to learning about tactical operations in a jungle. They learn and are eventually tested on rope systems that include the Z-Pulley (used to lower/raise casualties or move heavy equipment in a steep environment) and the one-rope bridge (used for water crossings). Next, students train in day land navigation in the jungle and execute waterborne operations, both critical skills for the culminating event. For SSG Schrock, the waterborne training stood out: “It was great training and very realistic. The water crossing was the most disgusting water I have ever been in, and I accidentally swallowed some during the event.”

Students then learn jungle-specific movement techniques, battle drills, and tracking/anti-tracking classes, and receive the first mission for the field training exercise (FTX).

Culminating Exercise, Green Mile, and Graduation

In the final phase of the FTX, students are inserted into the jungle via helicopter to start their missions. They conduct sustained operations, operating and sleeping in the jungle. SSG Chadwick identified the squad attack on the second day of his mission as the most grueling. “The entire area was a swamp, and the exfil was hard because there was no good route out of the area,” he said, “We just had to go through the swamp.”

Finally, the students execute the final critical event, the “Green Mile,” a team event that requires squads to surmount multiple obstacles and complete grueling stations before reaching the finish line in the rustic cantonment area. If those students meet all course requirements, they earn the ASI and will be ceremonially presented with the “Jungle Tab” (the same as in Hawaii) as a nod to the former Jungle Expert patch.

Transforming into a Jungle Warfighter

Thanks to the continued support of the Government of Panama, U.S. Army Soldiers are yet again finding opportunity to test their mettle in one of the world’s harshest environments. Even better, they get to do so alongside Panamanian security force partners. And they are learning from foremost experts on surviving in that environment, like 1SG Fajardo, as well as U.S. Army cadre who are literally traveling around the globe to find and integrate jungle lessons from the joint and combined force. Soldiers who step up to the challenge of attending this course are quickly humbled by the environment but then learn to operate within it, leaving the course confident they can outlast and outfight any enemy. SPC Hunter Foor can attest: “I feel like I’m a better Soldier now. The survival training alone has been really beneficial. I feel confident that if separated or in an isolated environment, I can survive on my own.”

Conducting jungle training again in Panama honors the past by acknowledging lessons learned during WWII and Vietnam and will help individual Soldiers — and perhaps soon units — to prepare to fight in any environment. The ability to dominate and win in harsh environments like the jungle will help deter — or defeat our adversaries, especially those that might otherwise view the jungle terrain as a sanctuary that negates our technological advantage. The current course directly prevents this by testing techniques and validating technology to demonstrate that the U.S. and its partners can persevere, closing the strategic gap only partially mitigated by the course in Hawaii.

When asked how today’s course compares with the one he attended in 1998, 1SG Fajardo stated the jungle course in the 1990s was old school and tougher. There was not the GPS capability of today, jungle land navigation was in denser terrain, the Green Mile had multiple extreme obstacles like the cargo up the cliff, and the equipment was more rudimentary. 1SG Fajardo said he is very proud to be an instructor and sees improvement to the course with each class. While it will take time for the course to regain its legendary status, he is confident in its return to prominence.

The jungle is a harsh and unforgiving teacher that demands mastery of the fundamentals, basics of survival, and adaptability without the use of technology. These skills are not limited to the jungle. If mastered here, Soldiers become more resourceful, resilient, and lethal globally. The revival of this course offers a unique opportunity to forge a new generation of jungle warfighters. SSG Schrock noted, “The jungle has taught me to live in the uncomfortable. I didn’t realize how comfortable my life has been and how good I have it.” SFC Alther called for units to “send the strong, don’t send the weak.”

The future of jungle warfare training is brighter than ever. Thanks to our partnership with the Panamanian forces, we are not just reopening a course — we are leveraging an unparalleled opportunity to build the world’s premier jungle school. The energy is infectious, from the seasoned cadre integrating new technologies to the students discovering their own resilience. But this momentum depends on a steady stream of willing individuals, both students and instructors, who are eager to push their limits. We stand at the beginning of a new chapter, and we invite the best and most motivated to help us write it, forging a new standard of excellence in the legendary crucible of Panama.

Notes