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.
- The pilot was rescued quickly in a daylight operation.
- The weapons systems officer (a highly respected Colonel) was forced to hide alone in a remote mountain crevice for nearly two days while Iranian forces hunted him. He was seriously wounded but survived with only a handgun.
On Saturday night into early Sunday (April 5), U.S. forces launched an all-hands, high-risk rescue:
- Four B-1 bombers dropped nearly 100 precision 2,000-pound satellite-guided bombs (JDAMs) to hammer enemy positions and create a safe extraction corridor.
- MQ-9 Reaper drones actively struck suspected Iranian fighters and militia who closed within about 3 km of the airman’s hiding spot.
- CIA intelligence assets, fighter jets, and Navy SEAL Team 6 commandos were also involved in the daring nighttime extraction.
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.
