{"id":15201,"date":"2026-08-02T06:41:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-02T11:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/?p=15201"},"modified":"2026-08-01T21:46:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T02:46:49","slug":"us-panama-jungle-warfare-training-at-milla-verde-in-colon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/news\/us-panama-jungle-warfare-training-at-milla-verde-in-colon\/","title":{"rendered":"US-Panama Jungle Warfare Training at Milla Verde in Col\u00f3n"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Protecting <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Panama_Canal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/business-economy\/india-asked-to-join-panama-canal-neutrality-treaty-by-panama\/\" rel=\"internal\">Panama Canal<\/a>, a waterway that handles roughly 5 percent of global maritime trade, demands more than just naval patrols and surveillance cameras. In the dense tropical forests of Col\u00f3n province, 128 <a href=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/news\/russia-discourages-panamanians-from-joining-ukraine-war-its-not-hollywood\/\" rel=\"internal\">Panamanian<\/a> security personnel are sharpening their ability to fight and survive in one of the world&#8217;s most unforgiving environments. They aren&#8217;t training alone. Alongside US troops, the force is taking part in an intensive US-Panama jungle warfare course known as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.army.mil\/article\/274456\/us_panamanian_forces_train_during_milla_verde\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Milla Verde<\/a>, a program designed to blend tactical instruction with the raw, physical demands of the jungle. The exercises unfolded over the weekend at the National Aeronaval Service base in Sherman, where the humid air and thick vegetation become both classroom and adversary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Growing Need for US-Panama Jungle Warfare Readiness<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officials framed the training as a direct response to shifting security threats. Irregular armed groups and transnational criminal organizations have long exploited remote, densely forested areas to move drugs, weapons, and people. For Panama, the stakes are uniquely high because the canal itself sits at the center of economic and strategic calculations. Luis de Gracia, director general of the National Aeronaval Service, put it bluntly: the country&#8217;s forces must be prepared for any scenario that could disrupt the waterway. The kind of operations envisioned involve more than standard policing; they require soldiers and law enforcement who can navigate rivers, patrol without leaving a trace, and evacuate wounded from places where helicopters barely find a clearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CjfsGNdjcqk?cc_lang_pref=en&#038;hl=en&#038;cc_load_policy=1\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Milla Verde course doesn&#8217;t just teach theory. Participants from Panama&#8217;s public force and the US Marines were pushed through a one-and-a-half-hour forced march, then dropped into a series of demanding stations. They practiced land navigation under a canopy that blocks GPS signals, riverine operations using small boats, beach assault techniques, and patrol formations meant to track targets without being detected. Medical evacuation drills, conducted with actual aircraft, added a layer of urgency that can&#8217;t be replicated in a classroom. The whole program reinforces a core message: US-Panama jungle warfare cooperation is not about nostalgia for past interventions but about building a modern, self-sufficient Panamanian capacity to defend critical infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Milla Verde Forges Joint Tactics in Hostile Terrain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Survival in the jungle isn&#8217;t just about firepower. Instructors explained that the course prioritizes phases of training that build step by step from individual skills to team-level missions. First comes navigation, where trainees learn to read terrain and water features without relying on digital tools that might fail. Then they move to coordinated patrols, where silence and spacing matter as much as marksmanship. Beach landings simulate rapid insertion along Panama&#8217;s extensive coastline, while emergency medical drills force participants to stabilize a patient, call for air support, and secure a landing zone under stressful conditions. The presence of US Marines alongside Panamanian Senan officers forces both sides to adapt their communication and standard procedures, creating a common operating picture that would be essential in a real crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What makes the Milla Verde approach unusual is the integration of these elements into a single, continuous exercise cycle. Rather than treating shooting, patrolling, and medicine as separate courses, the training links them in a scenario that forces rapid decision-making. A squad might move through thick undergrowth for hours, then have to immediately set up a perimeter, treat a simulated casualty, and call in an extraction. De Gracia noted that such experience cannot be gained from manuals. He also underscored the need to counter \u201cattacks or interventions by irregular forces or international organized crime,\u201d a reference to the hybrid threats that blur the line between crime and insurgency. In this context, US-Panama jungle warfare training becomes a tool to deny those groups the sanctuary they once found in remote border regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d125987.47412597963!2d-80.09336143350023!3d9.323647615521322!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x8fab6d74d93fcb77%3A0x90daf5f3ea39d9e4!2zQ29sw7NuLCBDb2zDs24gUHJvdmluY2U!5e0!3m2!1sen!2spa!4v1785638725295!5m2!1sen!2spa\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" style=\"border:0;\" allowfullscreen=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Panama 2026 Exercises and Regional Cooperation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Milla Verde course is just one piece of a much larger puzzle. It falls under the umbrella of the Panama 2026 Exercises, a multinational security initiative that runs from July 1 through August 31 this year. Nearly 1,700 police and military personnel from around 20 countries are involved, making it a key significant coordinated training efforts in the hemisphere. While the numbers alone are impressive, the structure matters more. Panama leads the planning and command, sending a clear signal that regional security cooperation operates under local ownership. The exercises encompass a wide array of missions, but the jungle warfare component stands out because of its direct connection to the canal&#8217;s vulnerability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Participation from so many nations reflects a shared interest in keeping the canal secure. Disruptions there send economic shockwaves far beyond Central America. For Panama, hosting such a massive exercise also provides an opportunity to test interoperability with partners who might provide assistance during a crisis. Whether the threat comes from a natural disaster or a deliberate attack, the ability to integrate foreign support into a Panamanian-led command structure is a capability that takes years to develop. The current iteration of Panama 2026 accelerates that process, with US-Panama jungle warfare drills serving as the tip of the spear for ground-based defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What the Canal&#8217;s Protection Means for Global Trade<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To understand why 128 people sweating through a forced march in Col\u00f3n matters, follow the ships. Last year, more than 14,000 vessels transited the Panama Canal, carrying everything from liquefied natural gas to grain and automobiles. A closure or even a brief disruption would reroute supply chains around Cape Horn or through the Suez Canal, adding weeks and millions of dollars in costs. Security planners have long recognized that the canal&#8217;s locks and dams are tempting targets. But the threat landscape changed over the past decade. Sophisticated criminal networks now possess military-grade equipment and communications, and they operate with an audacity that blurs the line between profit and political motive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">De Gracia captured that reality with a simple observation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe know we have the main strategic asset, which is the Panama Canal\u201d [Translated from Spanish]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That awareness shapes every aspect of the training. It&#8217;s why the Milla Verde course teaches a police officer to call in a medevac the same way a marine would, why navigators learn to read a river&#8217;s current as carefully as a road map, and why beach landings are rehearsed even though Panama has no conventional enemies. The goal isn&#8217;t to prepare for a traditional war but to create a force that can respond to a fluid, unpredictable security environment. In that sense, the US-Panama jungle warfare exercises are a bet on deterrence by readiness, a visible signal that the jungle won&#8217;t easily hide those who threaten the waterway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/army-usa-1200x800-1-1024x683.webp\" alt=\"army usa\" class=\"wp-image-10654\" srcset=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/army-usa-1200x800-1-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/army-usa-1200x800-1-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/army-usa-1200x800-1-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/army-usa-1200x800-1-150x100.webp 150w, https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/army-usa-1200x800-1-450x300.webp 450w, https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/army-usa-1200x800-1.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">army usa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ultimately, the weekend&#8217;s training in Sherman is one chapter in a longer story about how Panama is redefining its security partnerships. The mix of domestic leadership and international support, the focus on the canal as a global asset, and the raw practicalities of surviving in the jungle all converge in exercises like Milla Verde. As the Panama 2026 framework continues through August, more units will rotate through the demanding terrain, building a cadre of personnel who share not just tactics but a common understanding of what&#8217;s at stake. In the deep green of Col\u00f3n, that understanding is tested one patrol, one beach landing, and one emergency evacuation at a time, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sica.int\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SICA<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Protecting the Panama Canal, a waterway that handles roughly 5 percent of global maritime trade, demands more than just naval patrols and surveillance cameras. In the dense tropical forests of Col\u00f3n province, 128 Panamanian security personnel are sharpening their ability to fight and survive in one of the world&#8217;s most unforgiving environments. They aren&#8217;t training<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15203,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[28,31,87],"tags":[5790,5793,5792,5791,5794],"class_list":["post-15201","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","category-crime-safety","category-featured","tag-jungle-panama","tag-jungle-warfare","tag-milla-verde","tag-training-warfare","tag-us-panama-jungle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15201"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15201\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15204,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15201\/revisions\/15204"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}