Fort Drum soldiers complete jungle training course in Panama

Soldiers from Black Hawk Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry, 10th Mountain Division (LI), based at Fort Drum, completed the final phase of the Jungle Operations Training Course-Panama on Oct. 22, 2026, at Aeronaval Base Cristobal Colon, Panama.

The culminating exercise included a medical evacuation drill supported by a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from Joint Task Force-Bravo. Soldiers also practiced movement, reconnaissance, security and decision-making in jungle conditions.

The Army said class 27-505 was the first unit-sized element to take part in the course in decades. The course was designed to build jungle survival skills, strengthen unit cohesion and improve cooperation between U.S. and Panamanian partners.

The Defense Department re-established the Panama jungle course in August 2025. U.S. and Panamanian instructors share responsibility for the training. Earlier courses included an October 2025 class and an 18-day course in February 2026 involving 82nd Airborne Division soldiers and Marines.

The original Jungle School operated at Fort Sherman in Panama from 1953 until 1999, when the U.S. military left the country. The current course includes survival fundamentals, small-unit tactics and a final endurance event known as the Green Mile.

The Army’s course description said the Fort Drum unit began training Oct. 14. The course was described as lasting 12 days, with the final phase scheduled to end Oct. 25. Future courses are planned to use bilingual instruction and platoon-sized groups of about 40 soldiers over the coming year.

The training gives Fort Drum soldiers experience in an environment different from the forests and terrain of Northern New York. The 10th Mountain Division is based at Fort Drum, making the exercise relevant to families and communities across Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.

Updates about the course and the participating unit are available through the U.S. Army and DVIDS.