Destination Gobi (1953)

Pilot Sam McHale (Richard Widmark) is disappointed to learn he is being transferred to the Gobi Desert to oversee the Navy's weather station. When McHale settles in, he meets with Mongolian tribesmen, who are weary of the Navy's presence. Once trust is established between the two groups, McHale notices the natives' talent with horses, and he becomes interested in turning the Mongolian natives into a cavalry that can help protect them against the Japanese.