What is the US Army doing in Panama? A bit of everything.

U.S. military activity in Panama combines security training with practical support for communities and Panamanian forces. The goal is not only to prepare for crises, but also to build cooperation and trust over time.

At the jungle school, U.S. personnel train alongside Panamanian forces. Salvage and dive teams work near the Panama Canal. Engineer soldiers build structures, while Civil Affairs teams identify problems such as unsafe bridges and damaged schools. Military doctors, dentists, optometrists, and veterinarians also serve rural communities.

The partnership reaches across Panama rather than staying on one base. Medical teams perform cataract surgeries and colonoscopies with Panamanian professionals. U.S. personnel also cross-train with SENAFRONT and SENAN. Col. Jacob White says these regular activities help create trust that cannot simply be produced during a crisis.

The Panama Canal is the only waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific, according to the article. That makes it strategically important far beyond Panama’s borders. Ships using it can connect the two oceans through Panama, placing the country at the center of global movement and security concerns.

The canal also matters directly to the United States. About 70% of the traffic passing through it travels to or from the United States. U.S. officials therefore link canal security to homeland defense, supply chains, and the country’s wider economic interests.

Panama hosts and helps secure this crucial route. The April 2025 U.S.-Panama agreement specifically addressed countering Chinese influence and securing the canal. As disruptions affect other waterways, U.S. officials and analysts say Panama’s strategic importance has increased, making continued cooperation more likely.

The canal carries roughly 5% to 6% of global trade, giving this narrow waterway an outsized role in the world economy. Its importance is not measured only by the land it crosses, but by the volume and destinations of the goods moving through it.

The United States is especially connected to that traffic. Approximately 70% of the canal’s shipments pass to or from the United States. This makes Panama’s canal security relevant to American commerce, supply chains, and national security planning.

The figures help explain why Washington is renewing its attention to Panama. The article also notes supply chain disruptions at other critical waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz. Those disruptions have increased the canal’s perceived importance and strengthened the case for closer U.S.-Panamanian cooperation.

The Darién Gap is the narrow strip of land between the two American continents. The article presents it as a key reason Panama matters to U.S. security policy. Its difficult terrain and location make it central to migration routes and to efforts against drug trafficking.

At its peak, the Darién saw more than half a million migrant crossings in a year. Panamanian service members also report drug smuggling through the area. These pressures connect Panama’s internal security challenges with U.S. concerns about migration, cartels, and the southern border.

U.S. officials describe the border as beginning in Panama because securing the isthmus may be easier than securing the entire Southwest land border. The partnership therefore aims to keep the Darién closed, defeat cartels, and support Panama while addressing problems that affect both countries.

The U.S.-Panama military partnership has gained importance as Washington refocuses on the Western Hemisphere. The Trump administration elevated defense of the U.S. Homeland to the highest national security priority, while Panama sits at the intersection of canal security, migration, and drug trafficking concerns.

The April 2025 agreement gave this renewed focus a formal foundation. The United States and Panama agreed to counter Chinese influence in the region and secure the Panama Canal. Joint training, medical missions, Civil Affairs work, and dive operations have expanded the relationship beyond a single jungle school.

The shift also reflects changing global conditions. Henry Ziemer said supply chain disruptions at other critical waterways have increased Panama’s importance. U.S. officials argue that previous administrations neglected the Western Hemisphere, so the military now wants to move faster and maintain a stronger presence there.

The expanded activities are intended to produce both security results and a stronger working relationship. U.S. and Panamanian officials want better canal protection, tighter control of migration routes, and stronger action against cartels and drug trafficking.

The mechanism is steady cooperation. U.S. dive teams train near the canal, Civil Affairs personnel work with communities, and military specialists support Panamanian forces. Cabrera said the plan is to defeat cartels and keep the Darién closed. These efforts address problems that affect Panama and the United States, although each country experiences them differently.

Trust is another major consequence the United States seeks. Col. White said trust cannot be surged during a crisis. Regular work with SENAFRONT, SENAN, and Panama’s government can build familiarity and confidence. That presence suggests the partnership will continue through recurring training, assistance, and security missions.

Narrow land bridges and strategic waterways matter because they connect large regions through limited corridors. Panama contains the only land bridge linking the two American continents and the only waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific. Control and security in such places can influence movement far beyond their borders.

The canal illustrates the mechanism. Roughly 5% to 6% of global trade passes through it, and about 70% of that traffic travels to or from the United States. The Darién also concentrates migration and drug-trafficking pressures. A problem in either corridor can therefore affect commerce, borders, and security simultaneously.

That concentration explains the renewed U.S. presence. Washington sees securing the isthmus as more manageable than securing the entire Southwest land border. Panama’s geography also makes it important when other waterways face supply chain disruptions, reinforcing the need for close bilateral cooperation.