Article Excerpt:
As tensions with China build and the US military sends more troops to the Asia-Pacific region, soldiers with the skills to fight and survive in the jungle are increasingly vital. The US Army trains soldiers for jungle warfare at the 25th Infantry Division’s Lightning Academy on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. Insider’s chief video correspondent Graham Flanagan spent 12 days inside the Army’s Jungle Operations Training Course, where a cross section of soldiers of various ranks and experience levels learn to fight, move, and survive in the jungle. Eighty students begin the course on day one, but only 51 will make it to graduation. The rest are dropped from the course by failing one of five critical tests. On day nine, students begin a three-day culminating exercise that incorporates the skills and lessons taught in the course, such as rope systems, rappelling, survival skills, small-unit tactics, and land navigation. Students who graduate from the course receive the Army’s coveted jungle tab.
Analysis:
In this documentary, soldiers undergo jungle training at the Lightning Academy in Oahu, HI. Hawaii’s tropical jungle terrain is able to replicate some of the harsh conditions that exist in the indo-pacific regions– the prospective warfront of war with China. Over 12 days, students perform a series of 5 tests, some of which include; Knot making, combat water survival, and land navigation. Throughout the documentary, students can be seen dropping the program, some due to the fact that they failed a test, some due to pure exhaustion or voluntarily dropping out. This documentary-style account of the jungle training allowed for a deeper understanding of what combat may look like in a jungle setting, as well as the thoughts and feelings of the students who are taking the course.
As I observed the students navigating the jungle, I noticed how careful they were. They moved with care, and attempted to be as quiet as possible– to remain undetected. Due to the thick underbrush, low visibility, and changing elevations of the jungle, movement takes far longer than it would on the mainland. The threat of ambush means soldiers must be extremely cautious of their every move, and remain ready for an attack. Soldiers communicate through hand and arm signals, and they must all pay close attention to ensure they see these gestures.
Another point that stuck out to me was the mental aspect of battle; mental fatigue could be seen as the students progressed through training. Soldiers aimed to keep this “morale” high through singing songs on their long marches or encouraging their fellow students. This physical exhaustion paired with mental exhaustion often caused soldiers to give up. In the strenuous conditions that these students are in (hunger, exhaustion, stress), maintaining one’s mental strength could mean the difference between life and death.
