First Space Force guardians graduate from Army jungle school in Panama
Source: Task & Purpose
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Space Force guardians are now getting certified in jungle warfare. This month, two officers with the Space Force became the first guardians to graduate from the U.S. Army’s Jungle Operations Training Course-Panama.
Maj. Alyson Gleason and Capt. Stephen Brown graduated from the jungle warfare school on Sept. 25, having finished the 18-day course alongside other U.S. and Panamanian troops. The course, held at Panama’s Aeronaval Base Cristóbal Colón, puts participants through a series of lessons, teaching them both combat tactics in the jungle as well as navigation and survival skills, such as foraging. Troops are trained on small-unit tactics such as ambushes and waterborne missions, as well as how to use a machete. The final event, known as the “Green Mile,” tests them on all that they have learned.
“I’m always interested in challenging myself and the jungle is a beast that we don’t get to tackle very often as Space Force Officers,” Gleason said in a news release. “I saw the opportunity, I wanted the chance to work with the Army and the Panamanian partners down here, and I thought this would be a unique place to challenge myself.”
Space Force Capt. Stephen Brown and Maj. Alyson Gleason recently completed an 18-day-long jungle warfare course in Panama, becoming the first guardians to earn the Jungle tab. Army photo by Pfc. Oshon Trowbridge.
The Space Force’s focus is on what is in orbit, but guardians are terrestrial, not in space yet. Its members operate the service’s satellites, but also deploy in the field to direct communication systems and tools such as jammers. Gleason, assigned to United States Space Force Headquarters, and Brown, with the 392nd Combat Training Squadron based out of Schriever Space Force Base in Colorado, are the first guardians to earn the Jungle tab.
As of mid-August, more than 200 U.S. troops had graduated from the course, as well as dozens of Panamanian service members. More than two-thirds of the U.S. graduates were from the Army, with Marines and airmen making up the balance, according to a U.S. Southern Command spokesperson. The first airman graduated from the course in May. In July, the Army approved soldiers to wear the tab as an official skill badge across the service.
“I feel grateful for coming here to the jungle, because I try to go through every experience I can,” said Brown. “Not everybody is going to get the opportunity, so when that door opens I think you should always take it.”
Capt. Stephen Brown, with the 392nd Combat Training Squadron, waits to start the Green Mile at Aeronaval Base Cristóbal Colón, Panamá, Sept. 24, 2026. Army photo by Pfc. Oshon Trowbridge.
The jungle course, long nicknamed the “Green Hell,” had been held at the then-Fort Sherman for years, until the base closed and was handed over to Panama in 199. U.S. troops then trained in Hawaii. Last year, the Army restarted the center in a joint effort with Panama. The renewed focus on jungle operations came as the U.S. military shifted resources, personnel and attention to Latin America.
Last year the military built up its forces in the Caribbean, reopening old bases and the jungle course. It launched Operation Southern Spear, a campaign targeting and destroying several small boats that the Pentagon claims are transporting drugs. In January, the U.S. launched a raid to abduct Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro. This summer, Southern Command established Southern Spear’s successor, Joint Task Force-Western Hemisphere, under which Army Special Forces, Marines and at least two Navy warships are carrying out operations in and around South American countries.
Ahead of the raid on Venezuela, Space Force personnel began operating in Southern Command’s area of operations in December. This January, the service officially established a component under the command, following guardians’ involvement in the operation in Caracas.
The post First Space Force guardians graduate from Army jungle school in Panama appeared first on Task & Purpose.
Classification
Region
Latin America
Analytical Domain
Tactical
Primary Category
Military Operations
Subcategory
Special Operations
SALUTE Report
Size
2 officers
Activity
Graduated from the U.S. Army’s Jungle Operations Training Course
Location
Aeronaval Base Cristóbal Colón · Panama
Unit
Space Force
Time
September 25, 2026
Equipment
machete
Summary
Maj. Alyson Gleason and Capt. Stephen Brown graduated from the U.S. Army’s Jungle Operations Training Course at Aeronaval Base Cristóbal Colón, Panama, on September 25, 2026. They are the first Space Force guardians to earn the Jungle tab after completing the 18-day course, which included training in combat tactics and survival skills. This course is part of a renewed focus on jungle operations by the U.S. military in Latin America.
Key Facts
- Maj. Alyson Gleason and Capt. Stephen Brown are the first Space Force guardians to graduate from the jungle warfare course.
- The course lasted 18 days and included training in combat tactics, navigation, and survival skills.
- The graduation took place at Aeronaval Base Cristóbal Colón in Panama on September 25, 2026.
- Over 200 U.S. troops have graduated from the course, which has been restarted in collaboration with Panama.
- The renewed focus on jungle operations is part of a broader U.S. military strategy in Latin America.