--- title: "Soldiers can now wear the Jungle tab Army-wide" description: "The new policy lets soldiers outside of U.S. Army Pacific who graduated from jungle warfare school sport the tab." date: "2026-08-01" modified: "2026-08-01" authors: - name: "Nicholas Slayton" job_title: "Contributing Editor" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/nicholas-slayton/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-jungle-tab-permanent/" categories: - "Army" - "Military Branches" - "News" --- # Soldiers can now wear the Jungle tab Army-wide ![A U.S. Army service member, a candidate of Jungle Operation Training Course - Panama, high crawls during the green mile at Aeronaval Base Cristóbal Colón, Panamá, July 2, 2026. U.S. Southern Command is focused on increasing partner nation capacity and interoperability in the region and reflects the United States’ enduring promise of friendship, partnership and solidarity with the Panamanian people. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Carolyn Dodge)]() *Army soldiers go through the final stage of the Jungle Operation Training Course-Panama at Aeronaval Base Cristóbal Colón, Panamá in July 2026. Army photo by Pfc. Carolyn Dodge.* Soldiers who completed the Army’s jungle warfare school can now wear the Jungle tab on their uniform, regardless of where they serve. The Army approved a service-wide authorization to wear the tab as an official skill badge late in July. The new rule was laid out in a July 22 memorandum, signed by Jules W. Hurst III, Assistant Secretary of the Army Manpower and Reserve Affairs, which appeared on social media and the Army [subreddit]() this week. The Army confirmed to Task & Purpose Friday afternoon that the tab had been approved to be worn across the service, like the Ranger or Sapper tabs. The Jungle tab originally recognized soldiers who graduated from the Jungle Operations Training Center at Fort Sherman in Panama, also known as the “Green Hell,” until the school shut down in 1999 with the closure of the fort. Jungle warfare training was conducted in Hawaii in the years that followed. “Retroactive eligibility is authorized for service members who executed unit level raining at JOTC in Fort Sherman, Panama from 1990 until closure in 1999 or completed training at the Hawaii or Panama based Jungle Schools,” the memo says. “Retroactive eligibility is granted for both courses.” On Friday evening, U.S. Army Pacific [posted]() about the news to social media, saying “And some of y’all said it was never going to happen.” Before this change, [only four]() Army tabs were considered permanent: Special Forces, Ranger, Sapper and the President's Hundred. The tabs are worn on soldiers' left shoulder, above their unit insignia. ![A U.S. Soldier moves through the jungle while securing the objective area after engaging opposing forces during an ambush lane as part of the Jungle Operations Training Course–Panama culmination exercise at Aeronaval Base Cristóbal Colón, Panama, May 14, 2026. The exercise tested participants’ ability to execute jungle warfare tactics, maintain security and operate effectively in a realistic high stress scenario. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Nirak Garcia Navarro)]() *A soldier takes part in the Jungle Operations Training Course-Panama's final exercise in May 2026. Army photo by Sgt. Nirak Garcia Navarro.* The jungle tab shows that a soldier completed the course, which teaches survival and combat skills in a jungle environment, as well as waterborne operations and land navigation through a thick and humid area. Previously, the tab was approved for soldiers who finished the Jungle Operations Training Course in Hawaii, but only if they were assigned to units under Army Pacific. The 12-day course in Hawaii is run by the 25th Infantry Division's Lightning Academy. Soldiers are required to submit a Personnel Action Request with proof of completion of jungle school to their battalion commanders for any retroactive tab approval, the memo said. The installation that was formerly Fort Sherman transferred to Panama, which operates it as Aeronaval Base Cristóbal Colón. In October 2025, the U.S. [reestablished]() its jungle school at the base, part of a [wider return]() to former bases in Latin America, as the military turned its focus to the region. Since reopening the course has seen soldiers, as well as airmen and Marines, go through the school alongside members of Panama’s security forces. The revised Jungle Operations Training Course-Panama is a 21-day experience split into three phases. It initially covers survival tactics, while the second phase covers combat tactics such as ambushes and reconnaissance. The finale is the "[Green Mile]()" event. ## Author Nicholas Slayton is a contributing editor for Task & Purpose, covering conflict for over 12 years, from the Arab Spring to the war in Ukraine. His previous reporting can be found on the non-profit Aslan Media, The Atlantic, Al Jazeera, The New Republic, The American Prospect, Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, and the Los Angeles Downtown News. You can reach him at nicholas@taskandpurpose.com or find him on Twitter @NSlayton and Bluesky at @nslayton.bsky.social. ### Author social links [Twitter]()