The soldiers were methodical as they went through their gear and prepared to venture into the jungle Tuesday. They had just arrived by helicopter at the Army’s jungle warfare school in Wahiawa known as the Lightning Academy after conducting a beach landing by boat and launching a simulated raid at Marine Corps Training Area Bellows.
The Pentagon has been shifting its attention to the Pacific amid tensions with China, and soldiers are training for the potential of a very different sort of war.
For members of the 2nd Ranger Battalion s Bravo Company out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, training in Hawaii proved to be a humbling experience.
Soldiers from the U.S. and the Philippines joined forces Monday to kick off military exercises intended to strengthen their countries’ partnership and hone combat readiness.