Peru’s army hosts U.S., Chile and Argentina for Amazon jungle exercise

Nearly 400 soldiers from Peru, the United States, Chile, and Argentina gathered in Saucé, Peru, as Exercise Southern Vanguard 2026 began Sept. 8 at the Peruvian Army Jungle School (Escuela De Selva). The multilateral training marks the first time Peru has hosted the annual event in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility.

“This is the first time you have opened your world-renowned jungle school here at Saucé to lead this critical exercise,” said U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command representative Brig. Gen. Robert Kincaid during the opening ceremony. “Last year our forces stood together in the freezing, high-altitude peaks of the Chilean Andes, testing what it means to fight, survive and sustain a force in biting cold. This year, we trade the mountains for the jungle.”

Hosted by the Peruvian Army (Ejército del Perú, EP) in coordination with the U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command (USAWHC), the exercise is designed to sharpen warfighters’ skills in unfamiliar environments and deepen regional cooperation, interoperability, and readiness.

“I invite you to make the most of every day of this exercise: to train with intensity, share knowledge, exchange experiences, identify our strengths, recognize our gaps, and learn from our mistakes,” said Peruvian Army Land Operations Command Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. Kenneth Valverde Virhuez. “Let the jungle put us to the test; let adversity strengthen us; let the training make us better; let interoperability increase our capabilities and let every day we share strengthen the bond of our armies.”

Under a cadre of jungle instructors from the Peruvian Army and the U.S. Army’s 551st Infantry Regiment (Training), participants are navigating the terrain, weather, and conditions of the Amazon Jungle at the Escuela De Selva in Saucé.

Participating units include U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command planning and support staff; the 82nd Airborne Division’s 1-505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team; the 153rd Public Affairs Detachment, West Virginia Army National Guard; the 191st Military Police Company, North Dakota Army National Guard; the 300th Military Intelligence Brigade (Linguists), Utah Army National Guard; the 410th Contracting Support Brigade, U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command; and the U.S. Army Security Cooperation Group South. Partner forces include the Peruvian Army’s 5th Amazon Protection Brigade (5ta Brigada de Selva de Protección de la Amazonía) and Jungle School (Escuela De Selva), as well as Chilean Army soldiers from the 1st Armored Brigade, 27th Armored Infantry Battalion “Bulnes.” Officers from Argentina are observing as they prepare to host U.S. forces during future iterations of Southern Vanguard.

The exercise opened with a welcome phase introducing participants to leadership, instructors, and their multinational teammates. Over six days of training, soldiers are divided into small, mixed-national groups for Peruvian-led instruction in jungle tactics, waterborne operations, jungle swimming, and jungle survival, with augmentation from U.S. instructors. Each training lane builds the skills required to operate in dense jungle conditions.

The event will culminate in a three-day field training exercise in which the multinational force maneuvers through the jungle to execute tactical missions against opposing forces. Organizers say the progression is intended to boost interoperability and combat effectiveness and prepare the combined force to counter designated terrorist organizations if tasked.

“The relationships built in Sauce are not symbolic, they are highly operational,” said Kincaid. “They are the bedrock upon which real-world joint crisis response will be built.”