BREAKING: B-1 Bombers Dropped Nearly 100 Heavy Bombs to Save Downed U.S. Airman
"WE GOT HIM!" In one of the most daring CSAR missions in U.S. history, Navy SEALs and B-1 bombers executed a massive nighttime rescue in southwestern Iran to save a wounded Air Force colonel evading capture.
U.S. special operations forces carried out one of the most intense combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) missions in recent memory to extract a seriously wounded Air Force colonel who spent more than 24 hours evading capture deep behind enemy lines in southwestern Iran.
The operation followed the downing of a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet on Friday, April 3, 2026, the first confirmed American manned combat aircraft loss in the ongoing war with Iran. Both crew members ejected safely.
On Saturday night into early Sunday (April 5), U.S. forces launched an all-hands, high-risk rescue:
President Trump personally announced the success early Sunday, posting:
“WE GOT HIM! … one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History… SAFE and SOUND!”
The colonel was recovered alive and is receiving medical care. No American personnel were killed or wounded during the mission.
This extraordinary display of firepower and coordination to save one American service member is being described by officials as a historic “all-hands-on-deck” maneuver that shows both U.S. air dominance and commitment to never leaving a warfighter behind.