Never saw this in Idaho before.
The Idaho State Journal: The Air Force exercise known as Raging Gunfighter 25-1 will kick off Monday in Pocatello, Idaho Falls and other locations throughout the Intermountain West.
The sights and sounds of the massive exercise won’t be limited to the F-15E Strike Eagle and F-35 Lightning II strike fighters and C-130 transport planes that are participating. There will also be simulated battles that will include warning sirens, smoke and pyrotechnics.
Local officials are warning the public about the very realistic military exercise so that no one’s alarmed at the military jets streaking through the sky or mock battles on the ground.
The exercise, which will last for 10 days beginning Monday, will include Air Force personnel from the 366th Fighter Wing out of Idaho’s Mountain Home Air Force Base, the 388th Fighter Wing out of Hill Air Force Base in Utah and the 19th Airlift Wing from Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas.
The Air Force hasn’t released many specifics about where in the Intermountain West the exercise will be held but it has been confirmed that Pocatello Regional Airport and Idaho Falls Regional Airport will be among the hosts for Raging Gunfighter 25-1. Local officials have said that Pocatello and Idaho Falls area residents can expect to see military aircraft in the air during the exercise.
The exercise will test the ability of the Air Force units involved to generate combat air power while continuing to move, maneuver and sustain both their wing and subordinate force elements in a dynamic and contested environment, the Air Force said.
The exercise is a culmination of months of planning and collaboration between multiple Air Force commands, combining to perform together in high intensity training and showcasing their capabilities.
“During the exercise, local area residents can expect to see an increase in Air Force personnel; military aircraft taking off and landing at a higher frequency than normal; possible loud ‘attack’ warning tones (wavering tones similar to a tornado warning); the use of a giant voice system; simulated opposition forces; pyrotechnics; smoke and other simulated battle noises,” a Mountain Home Air Force Base press release stated.
It’s all about the Air Force preparing for future wars.
“The Air Force is re-optimizing its organizational structures, war fighting concept of operations, force presentation and generation models, and how it prepares Airmen to ensure they are ready for a battle space that is vastly different from the past 20 years of counterinsurgency operations,” said Air Force 1st Lt. Joshua Hong, the public affairs officer for the 366th Fighter Wing. “Raging Gunfighter is a routine operational readiness exercise… creating dilemmas for our adversaries by focusing on readiness, modernization, and Agile Combat Employment, all while taking care of our Airmen. The exercise plays a critical role in Air Combat Command’s transformation as the command continues to evolve to provide relevant, combat-credible forces in support of the National Defense Strategy.”
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