Mangroves and mud: Inside the Army jungle school’s notorious ‘Green Mile’

Aeronaval Base Cristóbal Colón, Panama — A howler monkey looked down from his perch atop the lush canopy before unleashing a bellow so guttural that it seemed to temporarily swallow up the jungle’s hum.

To his likely irritation, hordes of uniformed soldiers had gathered beneath the petite primate, filling his muddy underbrush with the heaving sound of heavy rucksacks and the smell of body odor that had been brewing in the moist terrain for days.

The soldiers, some wearing days-old green face paint, had congregated amongst the moist fauna to complete their final task in the U.S. Army’s Jungle Operations Training Course in Panama: The Green Mile.

The notorious event — in the thick of Panama’s “Green Hell” — is the 18-day course’s culminating exercise, testing participants’ newly learned jungle maneuver techniques, survival measures and fighting skills.

By that point in the course, the soldiers had run a days-long jungle reconnaissance and attack operation. That portion of the field exercise was complete, and perhaps to the howler monkey’s dismay, so were the soldiers’ attempts to stay quiet.

Jungle school participants cross the water's edge to complete the Green Mile. (Eve Sampson/staff)

The course in 2025 returned to Panama at Base Aeronaval Cristóbal Colón, formerly known as the U.S. Army’s Fort Sherman, decades after it was originally shuttered.

The new course is a joint U.S.-Panamanian partnership, with Panamanian instructors leading lessons on jungle survival.

With staggered start times, each squad took off running down a soggy, uneven path. Squads in the September course had participants from across the U.S. force, including those from the Army, Marine Corps and Space Force.

Some squads had Panamanian soldiers. Other countries, such as Colombia, have expressed interest in sending soldiers in the near future.

In classes with Panamanian students, instruction is given in English and Spanish. When the course is English-only, the duration shrinks to 12 days, but without partners, officials say U.S. students can miss out on opportunities to connect with other forces.

Spc. Duncan Vaupel, a member of September’s jungle school course, said he talked with and learned from Panamanian troops who described treating soldiers who had lost legs and fighting gun battles in the jungle that stretched into the night.

“These guys not only teach it, but they live and breathe it, too,” he said.

Participants in the U.S. Army's jungle school in Panama prepare a hasty litter as part of the Green Mile on Sept. 24, 2026. (Eve Sampson/staff)

The squad’s first major Green Mile task was to carry some of the service members’ rucks in a litter made from whatever they could find. Logs or long branches coupled with issued wet weather equipment — a poncho — did the trick.

During the course, participants are provided instructions on jungle first aid. They also practice with medical evacuation helicopters, transporting a casualty to some sliver of open sky where a medical team can send a rappel line down to hoist the injured soldier up. Jungle landing zones are few and far between.

Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Reeves, a combat medic and an instructor at the school, said that heat injuries are common because of the oppressive humidity and temperature.

Animal-related injuries are also widespread, he said. Wild, territorial bees are sensitive to loud noises and will defend their hives by attacking the camouflaged intruders.

“We do have wild bees down here that tend to get a lot of the students as they move throughout the jungle,” Reeves said. “I know we’ve had to evac a handful of students before to the aid station for bee stings, scorpion stings and a variety of insect bites.”

Once the section of muddy pathway came to an end, there was the sea to deal with.

Muddy boot after muddy boot sank into the swirling sand beneath unforgiving waves. Soldiers were instructed to file one behind the other, sometimes sinking waist-deep into the water as they skirted rocky outgrowths and navigated dense mangroves.

Fewer troop formations work in a jungle environment, said Lt. Col. Andrew Eagan, who oversees the Jungle Operations Training Center. Wedge formations, for example, do not work, he said.

“Here you fight in a column, you fight in a line, and the reason for that is the environment,” Eagan said. “The environment is so punishing.”

Participants in the U.S. Army's jungle school in Panama hike steep hills as part of the Green Mile on Sept. 24, 2026. (Eve Sampson/staff)

When the Green Mile took the service members back inland, the soldiers traded the wet coastline for brutal terrain.

Their next challenge? A hill so steep that it required crawling on hands and knees. With a grade impossible to climb with waterlogged rucks, the scrappier soldiers scaled ahead, breathlessly anchoring a rope bridge from the top so other soldiers could cling to it as they ascended while lugging the squad’s wet gear.

Soldiers slipped, ripping pants and filling scraggly fingernails with brown mud. Weapons became caked with slippery earth as they reached the peak.

During Eagen’s interview, he said Panama’s environment was the part of jungle school that U.S. students underestimated most. During The Green Mile, the true magnitude of the jungle’s hazards was revealed — relentlessly.

There was no walking down the other side of the hill, for instance. Course participants scooted or slid down on their rears, praying that their nether regions would not cross the path of a black palm — one of the treacherous plants students learn about in the jungle, in addition to the school’s flora and fauna blocks of instruction.

With pointy spikes that can reach up to 8 inches long, flaring from every inch of its trunk, soft flesh is no match for nature’s black needles.

Other plants, students learn, are edible and can help them survive in such harsh environs. Some of nature’s bounty, however, keeps the jungle students’ digestive systems unusually active.

2nd Sgt. Rubén Rodríguez, a Panamanian instructor for the course, said American students are often particularly hungry. They love to pick and eat coconuts for extra nourishment, he said.

Though delicious and healthy in moderation, coconuts can be laxatives in large quantities. The Americans’ frequent snacks, Rodríguez said, send them straight to the jungle bathroom.

Participants in the U.S. Army's jungle school in Panama slog through mud during the course's culminating event, the Green Mile. (Eve Sampson/staff)

As the troops progressed through the course, lanewalkers added full water jugs and ammo cans to soldiers’ loads. The extra weight pushed boots even deeper into the muddy ground.

Red-faced and exhausted, the squad hoisted the extra weight over and under the first leg of an obstacle course that represents the final, brutal stretch of the Green Mile.

The squad dragged themselves — and their equipment — through sticky, brown goop as they low-crawled beneath barbed wire. Soldiers tossed gear over a high wall before hurling their own bodies over after the dumped equipment.

Before the finish line, the squad trekked up another uneven hill — even more slowly than any hill they had summited before.

Once they hit concrete — and the familiar terrain near the schoolhouse’s campus — the jungle-battered squad had just minutes to sprint the last stretch of what was actually a four-plus-mile endeavor.

The instructors imposed a time cap on the event (because what is Army training without the addition of some artificial stress?).

Participants in the U.S. Army's jungle school in Panama work through obstacles as part of the Green Mile on Sept. 24, 2026. (Eve Sampson/staff)

As the afternoon sun beat down on the squad, the sprint slowed to a heavy shuffle.

One participant, who had been carrying extra weight, stifled a gag as he trod onwards.

In a haze of instructor-cracked purple smoke, the squad finished, collapsing in a heap under the shade of a cluster of trees.

Some soldiers emptied the water jugs over each other’s heads. Others lay spread-eagled in a lukewarm puddle of mud.

Two participants — one with a ripped pant seam exposing a dirty, pale leg — reveled in their success.

“It was a good time,” one said, looking at his friend.

After a millisecond of hesitation, the friend responded.

“Nah,” he said, shaking his head with a smile.

Eve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer. She has covered conflict across the world, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press.

巴拿马克里斯托瓦尔·科隆海军航空基地——一只吼猴从茂密的树冠顶端向下望去，然后发出了一声低沉的吼叫，仿佛暂时吞噬了丛林的嗡鸣声。

令他可能感到恼火的是，大批身穿制服的士兵聚集在这只娇小的灵长类动物身下，沉重的背包发出沉闷的脚步声，潮湿的地面上弥漫着数日的体臭，充斥着他泥泞的灌木丛。

士兵们，有的脸上还涂着几天前的绿色油彩，聚集在潮湿的植被中，完成他们在巴拿马美军丛林作战训练课程“绿色一英里”中的最后一项任务。

这项臭名昭著的赛事——在巴拿马“绿色地狱”的腹地举行——是为期 18 天的课程的最终演练，旨在检验学员们新近学习的丛林机动技巧、生存措施和战斗技能。

到那时，士兵们已经进行了长达数天的丛林侦察和攻击行动。野外演习的这一部分已经结束，或许令吼猴失望的是，士兵们保持安静的努力也随之结束了。

丛林学校的学员们跨过水边，完成了“绿色一英里”挑战。（伊芙·桑普森/工作人员）

2025 年，该课程重返巴拿马，地点设在克里斯托瓦尔·科隆海军航空基地（Base Aeronaval Cristóbal Colón），该基地前身是美国陆军的谢尔曼堡（Fort Sherman），而该基地早在几十年前就已关闭。

这门新课程是美国和巴拿马联合开设的，由巴拿马籍教员教授丛林生存课程。

各小队错峰出发，沿着泥泞崎岖的小路奔跑起来。参加九月份训练的队员来自美军各军种，包括陆军、海军陆战队和太空部队。

部分小队中有巴拿马士兵。其他国家，例如哥伦比亚，也表示有兴趣在不久的将来派遣士兵。

在与巴拿马学生共同上课时，授课语言为英语和西班牙语。如果课程仅以英语授课，则课时缩短至12天，但官员表示，如果没有同伴，美国学生可能会错失与其他部队交流的机会。

九月份丛林学校课程的学员邓肯·沃佩尔下士说，他与巴拿马士兵交谈并向他们学习，巴拿马士兵描述了他们如何治疗失去双腿的士兵，以及在丛林中持续到深夜的枪战。

他说：“这些人不仅教授这门学科，而且他们自己也将其融入到生活和工作中。”

2026年9月24日，在巴拿马举行的美国陆军丛林学校“绿色通道”训练中，学员们正在准备简易担架。（伊芙·桑普森/工作人员摄）

小队在“绿色一英里”行动中的首要任务，是用他们能找到的任何材料制作的担架，运送一些军人的背包。原木或长树枝，再加上配发的雨具——一件雨披——就足以胜任。

课程期间，学员们会接受丛林急救方面的培训。他们还会进行医疗后送直升机的实战演练，将伤员运送到一小片空旷地带，以便医疗队放下绳索将受伤士兵吊起。丛林中的着陆区少之又少，而且分布分散。

一级军士长蒂莫西·里夫斯是一名战斗医护兵，也是该校的一名教官。他表示，由于闷热潮湿的天气，中暑很常见。

他还说，动物造成的伤害也很普遍。野生蜜蜂具有很强的领地意识，对巨响非常敏感，会攻击伪装起来的入侵者来保卫蜂巢。

里夫斯说：“我们这里确实有野生蜜蜂，学生们在丛林里活动时经常会被它们蜇伤。我知道我们之前已经把一些被蜜蜂、蝎子和各种昆虫叮咬的学生送到医疗站了。”

走过这段泥泞的小路后，接下来就要面对大海了。

一双双沾满泥泞的靴子陷进翻滚的沙砾中，任由无情的海浪拍打。士兵们奉命排成一列，有时为了绕过嶙峋的岩石，穿过茂密的红树林，他们不得不趟过齐腰深的海水。

负责丛林作战训练中心的安德鲁·伊根中校表示，在丛林环境中，有效的部队阵型较少。例如，楔形阵型就行不通。

“在这里，你们要列队作战，要排成一列作战，原因就在于作战环境，”伊根说。“这里的作战环境极其恶劣。”

2026年9月24日，在巴拿马，美国陆军丛林学校的学员们正在攀登陡峭的山坡，这是“绿色一英里”训练的一部分。（伊芙·桑普森/工作人员摄）

当“绿里之路”将军人们带回内陆时，士兵们告别了湿润的海岸线，来到了崎岖的地形。

他们接下来的挑战是什么？一座陡峭到需要手脚并用匍匐前进的山坡。背着浸透水的背包根本无法攀爬，那些意志坚强的士兵便先行一步，气喘吁吁地从山顶架起一座绳桥，以便其他士兵在背着全队湿透的装备向上攀登时可以抓住它。

士兵们滑倒了，裤子被撕破，粗糙的指甲缝里沾满了棕色的泥土。当他们到达山顶时，武器上也沾满了湿滑的泥土。

在伊根的采访中，他表示巴拿马的环境是美国学生在丛林学校中最容易低估的部分。在《绿里奇迹》这部电影中，丛林的真正危险性被无情地展现了出来。

例如，学员们无法从山坡的另一边走下去。他们只能用屁股蹭着或滑着下山，祈祷自己的下体不会碰到黑棕榈——这是学生们在丛林中学习的众多危险植物之一，此外，学校的动植物课程也会教授这种植物。

树干上每一寸都长满了长达 8 英寸的尖刺，柔软的肉质根本无法抵挡大自然的黑色尖刺。

学生们了解到，其他一些植物是可以食用的，能够帮助他们在如此恶劣的环境中生存下来。然而，大自然的某些馈赠却让丛林学生们的消化系统异常活跃。

巴拿马籍教官鲁本·罗德里格斯中士说，美国学员通常特别容易饿。他们喜欢采摘椰子来补充能量。

椰子虽然美味又健康，但适量食用却可能导致腹泻。罗德里格斯说，美国人频繁食用椰子，让他们直接跑到丛林里的厕所。

在巴拿马举行的美国陆军丛林学校的最后阶段——“绿里”训练中，学员们艰难地跋涉在泥泞中。（伊芙·桑普森/工作人员摄）

随着部队行进，巡路员不断往士兵的负重上添加装满水的水壶和弹药箱。额外的重量使士兵的靴子更深地陷进泥泞的地面里。

队员们满脸通红、筋疲力尽，将额外的重量扛过障碍赛的第一段，这段障碍赛象征着“绿色一英里”最后一段残酷的赛程。

小队成员拖着身子和装备，匍匐穿过黏稠的棕色泥浆，在铁丝网下艰难前行。士兵们将装备扔过高墙，然后自己也纵身跃下，追赶丢弃的装备。

在到达终点线之前，队伍又艰难地爬上了一座崎岖不平的山丘——比他们之前爬过的任何一座山丘都要慢。

一旦踏上混凝土路面——以及学校附近熟悉的地形——这支饱经丛林蹂躏的小队只有几分钟的时间来冲刺最后一段路程，而实际上这是一段超过四英里的征程。

教官们给这次训练设定了时间限制（因为如果没有一些人为的压力，那还算什么军队训练呢？）。

2026年9月24日，在巴拿马，美国陆军丛林学校的学员们正在进行“绿色一英里”训练，克服各种障碍。（伊芙·桑普森/工作人员摄）

午后的阳光炙烤着队伍，短跑的速度慢了下来，变成了沉重的拖步。

一名体重超标的参赛者强忍着恶心，继续向前走去。

在教官点燃的紫色烟雾弥漫中，小队完成了任务，瘫倒在一丛树荫下。

一些士兵把水罐里的水倒在彼此头上。另一些士兵则四肢摊开，躺在温热的泥水坑里。

两名参赛者——其中一人裤子的接缝处撕开，露出一条又脏又白的腿——为他们的成功而欢欣鼓舞。

“那段时光很美好，”其中一人看着他的朋友说道。

朋友犹豫了一毫秒后，回答道。

“不，”他笑着摇了摇头说道。

伊芙·桑普森是一名记者，也是一名前陆军军官。她曾报道过世界各地的冲突，为《纽约时报》、《华盛顿邮报》和美联社撰稿。