US and Panamanian Forces Kick Off Jungle Operations Training Course

February 15, 2026
12:55 am

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U.S. and Panamanian forces are diving headfirst into the sweltering jungles of Base Aeronaval Cristóbal Colón for the Jungle Operations Training Course-Panama (JOTC-P), kicking off February 3 and running through the 20th. This 18-day grind isn't your average desk drill—it's a full-spectrum immersion in jungle warfare, blending American troops with Panamanian security forces to sharpen skills like navigation through dense foliage, survival under duress, and small-unit tactics in environments where one wrong step means becoming lunch for the wildlife. Think Panama Canal vibes meets Predator-level intensity, all aimed at boosting multinational interoperability in one of the world's most unforgiving terrains. What's clever here isn't just the sweat equity; it's the strategic flex. The U.S. has a storied history of jungle ops—Vietnam's ghosts still whisper through ROTC manuals—and Panama's no stranger, having hosted U.S. training since the Canal Zone days. This JOTC-P ramps up that legacy amid rising global tensions, from narco-insurgents in Latin America's backyards to hypothetical peer conflicts where urban sprawl gives way to wild overgrowth. For the 2A community, it's a masterclass in why individual marksmanship and adaptability matter: these pros are drilling with everything from M4s to squad automatics in conditions that make ranges look like country clubs, underscoring how civilian training—AR-15 familiarization, survival drills, even airsoft-to-real-steel progressions—mirrors elite prep without the DoD budget. Implications? Pure 2A rocket fuel. As feds hone these skills abroad, it spotlights the domestic gap: while Uncle Sam equips allies for chaos, American civilians face ever-tightening regs on the tools needed for self-reliance in our own jungles—be it urban decay or literal wilderness. This exercise screams for redoubling local training orgs like Project Appleseed or Thunder Ranch jungle modules, proving that proficient, armed citizens aren't a bug, they're the feature in any interoperable defense ecosystem. Eyes on Panama; it's a reminder that freedom's edge is forged in the muck.

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What’s clever here isn’t just the sweat equity; it’s the strategic flex. The U.S. has a storied history of jungle ops—Vietnam’s ghosts still whisper through ROTC manuals—and Panama’s no stranger, having hosted U.S. training since the Canal Zone days. This JOTC-P ramps up that legacy amid rising global tensions, from narco-insurgents in Latin America’s backyards to hypothetical peer conflicts where urban sprawl gives way to wild overgrowth. For the 2A community, it’s a masterclass in why individual marksmanship and adaptability matter: these pros are drilling with everything from M4s to squad automatics in conditions that make ranges look like country clubs, underscoring how civilian training—AR-15 familiarization, survival drills, even airsoft-to-real-steel progressions—mirrors elite prep without the DoD budget.

Implications? Pure 2A rocket fuel. As feds hone these skills abroad, it spotlights the domestic gap: while Uncle Sam equips allies for chaos, American civilians face ever-tightening regs on the tools needed for self-reliance in our own jungles—be it urban decay or literal wilderness. This exercise screams for redoubling local training orgs like Project Appleseed or Thunder Ranch jungle modules, proving that proficient, armed citizens aren’t a bug, they’re the feature in any interoperable defense ecosystem. Eyes on Panama; it’s a reminder that freedom’s edge is forged in the muck.

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