SAUCE, Peru – As the flags of Peru, the United States, Chile, and Argentina wave in the warm breeze, nearly 400 multinational soldiers stood in formation by unit, taking in the opening moments of Exercise Southern Vanguard 2026 (SV26).
"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."
On Sept. 8, 2026, SV26 officially kicked off in the austere training environment of the Peruvian Army Jungle School (Escuela De Selva) in Saucé, Peru. Under a cadre of jungle instructors from the Peruvian Army and U.S. Army 551st Infantry Regiment (Training) participants are navigating the challenging terrain, weather and conditions of the Amazon Jungle.
Hosted by the Peruvian Army (Ejército del Perú, abbreviated EP) in coordination with the U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command USAWHC), the exercise aims to enhance the skills of warfighters in unfamiliar environments. This year’s iteration marks a significant milestone in regional military cooperation, interoperability, and mutual readiness as Peru hosts the annual multilateral training exercise in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility for the first time.
"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."
Multiple U.S. Army units, to include Regular Army and U.S. Army National Guard units, are joining multinational partner forces to close potential interoperability gaps across training, logistics, operations, and security.
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, the Peruvian Army's 5th Amazon Protection Brigade (5ta Brigada de Selva de Protección de la Amazonía) and Jungle School (Escuela De Selva), and 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 began with a welcome phase where participants meet exercise leadership, instructors and their multinational teammates.
For the six-day training phase, soldiers were divided into small mixed groups and cycled through extensive Peruvian-led instruction in jungle tactics, waterborne operations, jungle swimming and jungle survival, augmented by US instructors. Each lane is designed to give participants the skills they will need to operate in the jungle environment.
The training will culminate in a three-day field training exercise (FTX), where soldiers will put those skills to the test. The multinational force will maneuver through the jungle to complete a series of tactical missions against exercise opposing forces. This training will increase lethality and interoperability and prepare the combined force to combat designated terrorist organizations in the future, if called to do so.
“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.”