From Orbit to Canopy: Guardians explore another frontier in Jungle Operations Training Course- Panama

AERONAVAL BASE CRISTÓBAL COLÓN, PANAMA (Sept. 25, 2026) – Maj. Alyson Gleason, assigned to United States Space Force Headquarters, and Capt. Stephen Brown, assigned to 392nd Combat Training Squadron, became the first U.S. Space Force members to complete the Jungle Operations Training Course-Panama, Sept. 25, 2026, at Aeronaval Base Cristóbal Colón.

The 18 day training course placed the Guardians alongside U.S. Army Soldiers and Panamanian partner forces in the jungle of Panama where they were required to learn survival skills such as moving tactically, finding food and operating as a multinational team in the dense jungle environment. Some of the obstacles candidates of JOTC-P have to face are a 5k run, a combat water survival assessment, a knots test and a culminating event testing everything they learn in the course.

“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,” said Gleason. “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.”

For Guardians, whose main priority is space domain, JOTC-P provides a different environment then they would typically operate in. The Guardians' participation also reflects the expanding opportunities for members of the Space Force to train with other military services and partner nations. Guardians furthering their training outside of their typical job scope creates a stronger organization overall, for Space Force and the U.S. Military as a whole.

“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.”

JOTC-P was established as part of a broader U.S.-Panama effort to strengthen security cooperation and interoperability. The course has brought together members of the Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force and Panamanian partner forces since its launch. Guardians going through the course is not only a success for Space Force, but for JOTC-P as the course grows in its participation creating stronger, more capable forces across the two nations.

“I think it’s something that if any Space Force person wanted to challenge themselves physically or mentally and get an opportunity to work with the other services this is the place I would do it,” said Gleason. “ It was incredible.”

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.