Training Opportunities
Located in the southern part of Idaho, Gowen Field is the only Joint Military installation in Idaho and is the only National Guard facility in the region focused on providing Total Joint Force training. For two decades, the installation annually has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of military personnel from all services.
The Gowen Field complex is adjacent to the Boise International Airport and is located on 576 acres, with the Gowen Field Training Area consisting of 136,948 of which 86459 is maneuver area, just south of the main post area.
Units-Army and Air Guard training at Gowen Field will find the installation’s superb location, quality terrain and four-season climate offer significant year-round training opportunities.
Soldiers training here have access to a full spectrum of facilities, ranges, training areas and classrooms that support individual and collective training compatible with environmental standards. The installation also features an air-to-ground impact area and airborne drop zones for both personnel and equipment.
A state-of-the-art Multi-Purpose Range Complex –Heavy permits armor, mechanized infantry, combat aviation, dismounted and motorized Units-Army and Air Guard to conduct live-fire exercises and annual crew qualification. Recent additions to training facilities include an Live Fire Convoy Range and a 50 K Mounted Land Navigation Course.
Also serving to enhance Gowen Field’s training capabilities is easy access to a full range of transportation services, including air, ground, rail and water. The Boise International Airport (a joint-use, military/civilian facility) up to C-5 and Assault Strip (a tactical landing site) up to C-130 are located on the installation.
Gowen Field offers an exceptional array of facilities and airspace to meet all your training needs. Ramp, hangar and operations facilities are available to support squadron size deployments. Missions utilize the Mountain Home Range Complex (MHRC), located just 50 nm from Boise, with airspace bridges to Utah Test and Training Ranges (UTTR) and Saddle, Paradise, Juniper & Hart MOA's, providing an ideal environment for conducting supersonic Air-Air training with full GCI coverage at high or low altitude.
Our range offers a full array of targets including an airfield complex, industrial complex, heated targets, electronic scoring, fixed and mobile electronic threats, smoky SAMS, and strafe. It is the premier CSAR, CAS and Air-Air training environment in the west.
Gowen Field is the place to complete all your airlift training requirements. Ramp, hangar, aerial port and operations facilities are available to support squadron size deployments. Complete your day or night assault training on our assault strip, located adjacent to the airfield, or drop your loads, including heavy weights, at one of our four DZ's (all are within 50 nm).
Fine-tune your low altitude tactical skills on one of our many low levels or in our MOA's, which are approved down to 300AGL, while being escorted by A-10's or other fast movers. Conclude the sortie with a drop(s) on Saylor Creek experiencing a full spectrum of electronic threats and smoky SAMS while employing chaff/flares. Gowen Field is the ideal place to conduct realistic training prior to that next desert deployment.
Gowen Field also is “home” to a wide variety of other activities that further broaden the scope of training available here. Examples include the, the Regional Training Site – Armor School, the Regional Training Site – Maintenance School, the Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site, the 116th Armor Brigade HQ, the 124th Air National Guard Wing, the 124th Air Support Operations Squadron, the U.S. Army Reserve 321st EN BN, U.S. Army Reserve Center, The U.S. Navel Reserve Center, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Center, and the Idaho Military Academy.
