U.S. Air Force officer rescued after climbing 7,000-foot ridge in Iran
A severely injured Air Force weapons systems officer survived a crash in Iran, climbed a mountain ridge and was recovered in a large-scale rescue operation involving hundreds of U.S. personnel.
An F-15E fighter shot down over Iran on April 2 left two crew members stranded in a remote mountainous area. The weapons systems officer, identified by the call sign "Bravo," survived a high-speed impact that broke his back, arm, shoulder and other injuries, then climbed a 7,000-foot ridgeline to evade Iranian forces.
"We had about 1,500 Iranian troops within a 10-mile radius and were tracking them closely," said Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of the operation.
U.S. forces launched one of the largest combat search-and-rescue missions in recent history, deploying dozens of aircraft, helicopters and a ground team of roughly 90 special operators. After the pilot, call sign "Alpha," was rescued in a daytime raid, the focus shifted to locating Bravo, who had sent a brief message indicating he was alive.
"There was clear intent from the Iranian ground force to find those two guys," said Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Intelligence, deception tactics and advanced locating technology enabled rescuers to pinpoint Bravo's position. Two pararescue specialists reached him on the ridge and extracted him to a makeshift desert airstrip, where additional aircraft were later recovered.
"The moment a PJ showed up to me on that ridgeline was one of the greatest moments of my life," Bravo said.
The operation concluded about 50 hours after the crash, with Bravo and the rescue team safely returned to U.S. territory. Both crew members expressed gratitude for the teamwork and leadership that enabled the mission.