Photo By Sgt. Scott Jenkins | U.S. Marines with 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division walk...... read more read more
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TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. — More than 4,200 Marine reservists from across the country assembled at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California to participate in Integrated Training Exercise 3-25, the Marine Corps Reserve’s largest collective training event. The exercise reaches its peak with the Reserve Integrated Training Exercise Collective Event, a test of how well units can fight as a unified force.
The goal is to bring together the Marine Air-Ground Task Force, combining infantry, aviation, logistics and command in realistic combat scenarios. To make that possible, Marines leave jobs, families and civilian responsibilities behind and travel from over 20 states and more than 35 home training centers nationwide to train side by side in the harsh desert terrain.
“We converge on Southern California from all across the country, all walks of life, everything from New England to Texas to Oklahoma and California. And we come together as one team to execute ITX,” said Walker.
Before reaching the RICE, Marines spend weeks sharpening individual skills and small-unit tactics. Once basic marksmanship, communication drills and company-level attacks are complete, they advance to full-scale operations.
“The RICE is a culmination of everything that the units have done up to that period,” Walker said. “We’ve gone through individual skills all the way up to company level attacks. We’ve done fire support coordination, we’ve worked together with air, ground, logistics and command.”
This final stage brings all parts together. Troops carry out simulated defensive operations against mechanized assaults utilizing entrenched positions, armored vehicles and air assault missions with MV-22 Ospreys, all while coordinating artillery and mortar fire to support movements on the ground.
“And this particular RICE was an excellent opportunity to come together at the 8000 level – that’s the regimental level – and execute command and control everybody out there, from the Regimental Commander, Colonel Fleming himself, all the way down to the individual rifleman engaging his weapon at targets out there in the training area,” Walker said.
Executing this level of coordination safely requires experienced oversight. The Tactical Training and Exercise Control Group, known as the Coyotes, provide that critical layer, mentoring units and managing risk during live-fire scenarios.
“We’re not out here training alone. We’re not training in a vacuum. We’re partnered with Tactical Training and Exercise Control Group, and those Coyotes that are out here are consummate professionals... They’re there to provide safety, mentorship, or as Coyote Six would say, risk mitigation, not safety. We’re buying down risk in order to conduct realistic training that’s going to give those Marines the best chance at increasing lethality and survivability in the modern battlefield,” said Walker.
Col. David Fleming, commanding officer of MAGTF 25, emphasized that RICE proves Reserve Marines can step up whenever called. “It’s a testament to the dedication and professionalism of our Marines that they put their civilian lives on pause to participate here in ITX. Here we have Marines from across the country from New York, Texas, to California to train together here at Twentynine Palms,” Fleming said. “This exercise enhances our ability to conduct combined-arms operations and reinforces the strength of the Reserve component as an integral part of the total force.”
| Date Taken: | 06.18.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.18.2025 16:23 |
| Story ID: | 501025 |
| Location: | TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 73 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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