SAUCE, Peru – U.S. Army Soldiers from the 153rd Public Affairs Detachment, Joint Forces Headquarters, West Virginia National Guard, arrived at the Peruvian Army Jungle School (Escuela de Selva) in Sauce, Peru, on September 7, 2026, to provide public affairs support for Southern Vanguard 2026.
SV26 takes place September 7 to 18, 2026 and is a multinational training exercise hosted by the Peruvian Army (Ejército del Perú) in coordination with the U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility. SV26 brings together nearly 400 warfighters from Peru, Argentina, Chile, and the United States. The exercise offers allied nations the opportunity to develop and enhance interoperability and readiness through combined operations simulating real-world contingencies in the complex and demanding terrain of the Amazon Jungle. This year’s iteration marks a significant milestone in regional military cooperation, interoperability, and mutual readiness as Peru hosts for the first time.
“The 153rd PAD has got quite a bit of experience in traveling outside of the continental United States for exercises,” said WVNG Staff Sgt. Zoe Morris, key planning 153rd non-commissioned officer for SV26. “Planning for this was an easier lift because our people have the experience, knowledge and capabilities to move our unit in a short amount of time with the right gear anywhere in the world.”
For the 153rd, SV26 holds significant value as Peru is the WVNG’s longest running partner in the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program.
“It's actually kind of exciting because this exercise is in SOUTHCOM, so that makes four combatant commands that we have supported exercises in during the past decade, which is a big accomplishment for a 12 person public affairs detachment from West Virginia,” said Morris. “Individually we’ve supported our West Virginia - Peru SPP relationship in various ways, but being here as a unit is special.”
Peru and the WVNG became state partners in 1996 and have maintained a strong working relationship for 30 years. For the first time, SV26 gives the 153rd the opportunity to directly work and learn alongside their Peruvian Army public affairs counterparts.
“Working with partner nations is probably the highlight of my career,” said WVNG Staff Sgt. Mickey Miller, 153rd non-commissioned officer in charge for SV 26. “Learning from their expertise, sharing my expertise, learning that the way I do things may not necessarily fit the structures of their country, it expands my knowledge base far beyond anything I could accomplish just working within the United States.”
Throughout SV26, the 153rd will accomplish a multitude of tasks to support their unit readiness while simultaneously showcasing the strong relationship between the U.S. and its allied partners, and the WVNG and Peru. In conjunction with the Peruvian Army public affairs team, as well as linguists from the 300th Military Intelligence Brigade (Linguists), Utah Army National Guard, they will capture and tell the story of SV26 through photos, social media posts, video products, and written articles. The exercise will allow the 153rd to expand their warfighting capabilities and display the importance of public affairs on the operating field in an austere jungle environment.
“The interesting thing about the Peruvians is that they really seem to be invested in imagery, storytelling,” said Miller. “That excites me because that gives us a chance to flex our abilities in conjunction with them, and create a story that not only supports the U.S. but supports Peru, Argentina, and Chile, that makes the exercise itself just amplify beyond the 400 soldiers that are here. It becomes something that all the countries can take pride in.”
| Date Taken: |
09.13.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
09.13.2026 18:21 |
| Story ID: |
574585 |
| Location: |
PE |
| Web Views: |
24 |
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0 |
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This work, 153rd Public Affairs Detachment Arrives in Peru, Participates in Southern Vanguard 26, by CPT Celesthe Montes, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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