EOD Soldier conquers Army Jungle Operations Course
EOD Soldier conquers Panamanian jungle course
COLÓN, Panama – A 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command Soldier recently earned the coveted Jungle Tab at Aeronaval Base Cristóbal Colón, Panamá, July 3, 2026.
Sgt. Trent K. Kruckenberg, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician with the 18th Ordnance Company EOD, braved the U.S. Army's 21-day Jungle Operations Training Course, not only earning the right to don the tab, but he also set a new standard of excellence for himself and other Soldiers in his unit.
Kruckenberg is no stranger to conquering challenges. His team won the 20th CBRNE Command’s 2026 Best Squad Competition, and he is the reigning noncommissioned officer of the year, which earned him the opportunity to attend the jungle course.
The U.S. Army's Jungle Operations Training Course has two venues, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii (JOTC), and the newly reestablished course in Panamá (JOTC-P).
Graduates from all services, who successfully complete the training at either location are eligible to wear the Jungle Tab.
The JOTC-P is a 21-day joint/combined course, run and led by Panamanian partners and is split into three phases: survival fundamentals, combat tactics, and a multi-mission culminating field exercise.
The JOTC, also known as the Lightning Academy, is a 12-day training course run by the 25th Infantry Division and focuses on individual and small-unit dismounted mobility.
The Lightning Academy teaches survival, tracking, and combat tactics in dense triple-canopy environments.
Kruckenberg, a Wenatchee, Washington native, said that growing up there was an extreme contrast to the jungles of Panamá.
“I grew up in Wenatchee with my parents and my little brother, and it’s a medium-sized town, in a desert-like, mountainous area of Washington,” Kruckenberg said.
Wenatchee lies at the confluence of the Columbia and Wenatchee rivers near the eastern foothills of the Cascade Range in north-central Washington.
After graduating high school, Kruckenberg earned an associate degree, but soon thereafter turned his sights toward a military career, enlisting in the U.S. Army in March 2022.
“After attending some college, I decided it wasn’t for me, but I had always thought about joining the military,” said Kruckenberg.
“My dad was in the U.S. Marine Corps, so I was familiar with the military environment.”
Kruckenberg said he initially struggled to choose a military occupation specialty, but after his father shared personal experiences working with EOD, he was completely sold.
He said EOD is so diverse, technical and challenging. He never envisioned himself sitting at a desk.
Kruckenberg’s current unit is one of seven ordnance companies assigned to the 192nd Ordnance Battalion, which serves under the Fort Campbell-based 52nd Ordnance Group EOD and the Aberdeen Proving Ground-based 20th CBRNE Command.
The 20th CBRNE Command is home to 75% of the active-Army’s EOD technicians and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) units.
Becoming an EOD team lead and attending Airborne and Ranger School are new goals Kruckenberg has set for himself.
He encourages all Soldiers to step outside their comfort zones and attack other opportunities to better their careers.
“The Army has so many schools outside the EOD bubble that can help advance your career,” said Kruckenberg. “But if you go to Jungle School in Panamá, bring your itch cream and powder, because it’s pretty nasty down there.”
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