Honolulu, Hawaii. (November 30, 2023): When people think of Hawaii, images of swaying palm trees and pristine beaches come to mind. For the Soldiers with the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, it is a jungle with steep mountains and stifling heat. In this photo by Specialist Brendon Donahue, 25^th Division Soldiers celebrate a combat victory over their rival Blue forces at the newly opened Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center (JPMRC). The Army’s newest combat training facility is in the mountainous center of the island of Oahu with over 17,000 acres of really tough terrain.

The 25^th Infantry Division was established in 1908 to provide defense of the island’s main port, Pearl Harbor. Nicknamed the Tropic Lightning Division in 1941, the 25^th fought in some of the bloodiest battles in World War II. The division today is a highly mobile light infantry unit supported by a range of aviation units guarding the Asia-Pacific region. The new center operates in three training rotations, one in Hawaii, another in the freezing terrain of Alaska, and another at satellite locations in friendly countries.

Credit for keeping these rotations running smoothly goes to the 196th Infantry Brigade, the training support brigade for the 25th Infantry Division and the 11th Airborne Division. During this cycle, as many as 6,000 participants underwent realistic training in an environment that they would likely encounter in the steamy jungles of the Pacific. The current cycle includes Soldiers from New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, and Thailand who developed closer cooperation with their American allies.