FILE PHOTO: Maj. Gen. Scott M. Naumann, then commander of the 10th Mountain Division, speaks with soldiers before a Jungle Operations Training Course graduation at Aeronaval Base Cristóbal Colón, Panama, March 27, 2026. This image shows earlier training, not the October 2026 activity. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Trey Woodard, via DVIDS.
U.S. Embassy says 120 soldiers are attending a short jungle course; broader deployment reports leave key questions unanswered.
By Watertown Post Staff
October 16, 2026
WATERTOWN: Fort Drum soldiers are participating in jungle training in Panama as the Pentagon expands military cooperation against drug cartels in Latin America, but conflicting accounts make it important to separate the confirmed training assignment from reports of a larger regional deployment.
For North Country families, the most specific public account comes from the U.S. Embassy in Panama. In an October 14 statement reproduced by Metro Libre, the embassy said 120 soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division were attending a two-week jungle course. It said they would return to Fort Drum after training concludes October 25.
The embassy disputed reports that 600 U.S. soldiers were being sent to Panama. It said the training center had operated for more than a year, with American and Panamanian instructors teaching jungle survival and operations at Panama’s invitation.
That account addresses the Panama contingent. It does not resolve every question about other 10th Mountain Division personnel or possible future assignments across the region.
What the broader reports say
The New York Times reported October 14, citing unnamed military officials, that elements of a roughly 600-soldier battalion were beginning a regional rotation involving Panama and eventual training with forces in Colombia and Honduras. Its report also described possible support for American special operations advisers. Those prospective roles should not be treated as an announcement that Fort Drum soldiers have begun conducting raids against cartels.
There is another important geographic distinction. In WWNY’s October 15 report, a division spokeswoman said soldiers from the 3rd Brigade, stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana, were deploying to the Southern Command area for security cooperation and training with host-country counterparts. A division headquartered at Fort Drum includes troops stationed elsewhere; the division name alone does not establish that every departing soldier lives in the North Country.
WWNY also reported that about 100 Fort Drum soldiers appeared headed to Miami in a support role. The reviewed public accounts do not establish a complete unit-by-unit roster or a single deployment timetable.
The Hill reported Friday that a U.S. official described the Panama assignment as jungle survival and combat-skills training rather than counter-narcotics training, with troops returning to the United States afterward. Its reporting also noted the embassy’s denial, underscoring the need for caution about sweeping deployment claims.
The regional context
The broader anti-cartel strategy is publicly documented. In an August 13 Pentagon News account published by Southern Command, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth linked jungle training in Panama and cooperation with regional partners to efforts against drug-trafficking organizations.
An official August 12 account described discussions among 19 Americas Counter Cartel Coalition partners. Those statements establish the policy backdrop, but they do not specify the current Fort Drum contingent’s operational orders.
Families remain part of the story
For families in and around Watertown, the practical questions are closer to home: how long a soldier will be away, which official updates apply to their unit, and where to find help during a separation. A published course-end date should not be treated as a guaranteed individual arrival date.
Fort Drum’s Mobilization and Deployment program offers workshops, briefings and services for soldiers and families before, during and after deployments. Its listed number is 315-772-0509. Military OneSource’s Fort Drum directory also identifies unit Soldier and Family Readiness Groups and the division chaplain’s office as support resources.
The Watertown Post wishes the soldiers success in their assigned duties and a safe return, and extends its support to the families managing their absence at home.
File photo: U.S. Army photo by Spc. Trey Woodard, via DVIDS, March 27, 2026. The appearance of U.S. Department of War (DoW) visual information does not imply or constitute DoW endorsement.
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