JUNE 19, 2025 – U.S. Marines with the 2d Battalion, 2d Marine Regiment, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and members of the Servicio Nacional Aeronaval (SENAN), or Aeronaval, in Panamá City, Panamá, are working shoulder to shoulder sharing knowledge and skill sets to enhance the vital partnership between the Department of Defense and the Panamanian security partners.
U.S. Southern Command seeks to expand its ongoing coordination, collaboration, and security efforts where U.S. military personnel and Panamánian security forces can bolster collective capabilities and skills, as well as facilitate a combined learning environment.
“It’s an absolute honor and a privilege to be able to work with our partners,” said U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Jeffrey Solois, the company operations chief for Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Brigade. “By both of us bringing our expertise to the table, we can walk away with a better understanding of interoperability and capacity to further support our partnership.”
The 2d Battalion, 2d Marine Regiment arrived in Panamá to support and foster this environment, participating in mutually beneficial training with the Panamánian security forces. This training includes Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), jungle survival, patrol tactics and land navigation.
“This experience strengthens the tactical and operational capabilities of all the units that are a part of our nation’s forces,” said Lt. Jesús Chen, an Aeronaval officer. “Through the knowledge we have gained, we have strengthened and expanded our capabilities.”
U.S. Navy Hospitalman Andrew Tidwell, a corpsman assigned to the Marine regiment, led the Tactical Combat Casualty Care training where he taught a hands-on course focused on medical care in stressful environments. Aeronaval members learned the TCCC trauma care phases, applied tourniquets and practiced litter carries.
This training environment provided valuable opportunities for both U.S. service members and Aeronaval forces. The challenging jungle terrain—humid, dense, and austere—combined with the Aeronaval’s regional expertise, created a challenging and immersive setting. These elements allowed U.S. Marines to develop critical skills that cannot be replicated in a traditional garrison environment, while also fostering mutual learning and interoperability between the partner forces.
“We’re gaining a lot of valuable experience operating in a jungle environment which essentially encompasses the heat, humidity, the dense vegetation and the limited visibility,” said Solois. “We’re also gaining experience integrating with foreign forces, which refines our skills and communication, all that we can bring back to our home units.”
Story by Senior Airman Julia Lebens
U.S. Southern Command