“This is a world-class range that is run very well. The units here in Idaho, along with the range, OCTC [Orchard Combat Training Center], and Mountain Home communities have taken care of us every time we’ve come up here. If we find ourselves in a jam, or need something or don’t know this procedure or that procedure, we get nothing but help here.”-Master Sergeant Daniel Haack, JTAC manager for 11th Marine Regiment, 1st MARDIV

In April 2023, the U.S. Marine Corps launched operation (Exercise) Garnet Rattler, seizing the U.S. Air Force’s gunnery range known as Saylor Creek, in Southern Idaho.

The use of the word ‘garnet’ is appropriate because Idaho is officially known as The Gem State.  Exercise Garnet Rattler is about training Joint Tactical Air Controllers (JTAC): “Garnet Rattler’s main objective is to take entry level joint terminal attack controllers, forward air controllers, air officers and joint fires observers, and put them in a live-fire environment that has a lot of maneuver flexibility, as well as aviation employment, in order to train realistic scenarios for their entry level controls in the fleet.”-Master Sergeant Daniel Haack, JTAC manager for 11th Marine Regiment, 1st MARDIV

U.S. Marine Corps video report by Corporal Dean Gurule, 29APR2023, note the Idaho Air National Guard’s 124th Fighter Wing/190th Fighter Squadron A-10Cs in action, also, a Mountain Home Air Force Base (AFB) F-15E pilot admits it is all about “…the Air Force and Marines are starting look to the Pacific and preparations for the Near Peer fight…”:

The following USMC videos, recorded (between 10-29APR2023) by Corporal Dean Gurule and Lance Corporal Juan Torres, have been edited by me.

“Rotors comin’ in!”:

Mountain Home AFB F-15E Strike Eagle:

Machine guns & mortars:

Idaho Air National Guard’s 124th Fighter Wing/190th Fighter Squadron’s A-10C Thunderbolt-2 (remember, the ‘woke’ USAF has been trying to get rid of this awesome aircraft):

Saylor Creek: IDAHO’S TACP/JTACs TRAIN WITH INFANTRY WEAPONS!