Omanghana
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Duchaine Paul has etched his name into military history after becoming the first Airman to graduate from the U.S. Army’s newly revived Jungle Operations Training Course (JOTC-P) in Panama.
Paul, a Security Forces Airman assigned to the 824th Base Defense Squadron at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia, successfully completed the demanding 18-day program and earned the coveted Jungle Tab after enduring some of the most challenging environmental and tactical conditions faced by U.S. military personnel.
The Jungle Operations Training Course, often referred to by its historic nickname “Green Hell,” recently reopened at Base Aeronaval Cristóbal Colón near the Panama Canal. The course is designed to prepare service members for operations in dense tropical environments and has quickly earned a reputation as one of the military’s most physically and mentally demanding schools.
Participants must contend with relentless heat and humidity, frequent tropical downpours, deep mud, swarms of insects, and potentially dangerous wildlife while mastering critical jungle warfare skills. Since its reopening, the course has primarily trained Army Soldiers and Marines, with graduation standards proving exceptionally rigorous.
According to military officials, 115 U.S. service members have attended the first three iterations of the course, but only 71 have successfully met all graduation requirements.
The training program is divided into three phases that test students’ endurance, adaptability, and tactical proficiency. During the first phase, students work alongside Panamanian security forces to learn jungle survival fundamentals, including fire-starting in wet conditions, water procurement, shelter construction, navigation, and proper use of machetes in dense terrain.
The second phase focuses on small-unit tactics and waterborne operations. Students learn combat movement techniques, swamp navigation, tracking skills, and how to maintain weapons and equipment in highly corrosive jungle environments.
The final phase culminates in a series of demanding tactical evaluations, highlighted by a two-day, 20-kilometer combat patrol through thick rainforest terrain while carrying heavy squad equipment and supplies.
Paul’s opportunity to attend the prestigious course came through his assignment with the 474th Air Expeditionary Group, where he had been working closely with Panama’s presidential security forces. His participation reflects a broader effort by the Air Force’s 820th Base Defense Group to expose its specialized light maneuver units to elite joint-service training opportunities, including schools traditionally dominated by Army personnel such as Ranger School and Pathfinder School.
While Paul was technically the second Airman to attempt the newly reopened Panama-based jungle course, he is the first to successfully complete every requirement and officially earn the Jungle Tab.
His achievement marks a significant milestone for the Air Force and highlights the growing emphasis on joint-force interoperability and expeditionary readiness. Military officials also revealed that additional Airmen from his squadron are already scheduled to attend future iterations of the course as the Air Force continues expanding its presence in advanced jungle warfare training.
Source: Omanghana
