In a display of military power, United States Special Forces rescued two downed airmen deep in enemy territory in a mission early Easter morning.
When a U.S. F-15E was shot down over Iran on April 3, a search began for the crew. The pilot, call sign Dude 4-4 Alpha, was found hours later after a daytime mission.
It was prematurely revealed that, though the pilot had been found, the weapons system officer was still missing. Iranian officials offered a £50,000 bounty for anyone who found the American soldier, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported.
According to U.S. officials, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) began a deception campaign within Iran, spreading false reports that the U.S. had already found the officer, call sign Dude 4-4 Bravo, and was moving him out of the country.
The officer, described by President Donald Trump as “seriously wounded” and “bleeding profusely,” climbed a 7,000-foot cliff and hid in a crevice until his rescue. Once concealed, Dude 4-4 Bravo signaled his location to his commanders with a message. That message was short, but powerful: “God is good.”
Once located, U.S. officials dispatched 100 Special Forces into the area.
“This force had one single mission,” said General Dan “Raisin” Caine in a press briefing on April 8. “Do everything they can to bring an American home.”
Bombers repeatedly struck the area around Dude 4-4 Bravo as Special Forces moved in. The United States used 155 aircraft, including four bombers, 64 fighters, 48 refuelling tankers and 13 rescue aircraft, Trump said during the briefing.
Upon arrival, the American troops landed two MC-130 transport planes on a sandy airstrip minutes from the officer. Troops unloaded and assembled Little Bird MH-6 helicopters by hand, then waited for orders.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was watching the ridgeline where Dude 4-4 Bravo was located. When he received visual confirmation, he greenlighted the mission.
“Go get our boy. Godspeed,” said Hegseth.
When the officer was found, he was loaded onto a helicopter and taken back to the transport planes. Realizing the planes were bogged down in the sandy soil and unable to move, U.S. Command pivoted to lighter backup planes that could take off. After the backup planes took off, U.S. forces blew up the MC-130s to prevent Iranian recovery.
Roughly eight hours after its initiation, the plan to rescue Dude 4-4 Bravo succeeded. During the mission, U.S. forces incurred no casualties.
“We have incredibly talented people. And if the time comes, we move heaven and earth to bring them home,” said Trump. “We're going to bring our people home safely. I want to thank every member of the U.S. armed forces involved in these historic operations.”
Trump praised God for the mission’s success, noting that it happened on Easter morning. In a separate moment reported by Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), Hegseth read Exodus 33:21 aloud after approving the second rescue mission.
Some analysts say the mission sent a message to the rest of the world. The rest of the world has been put on notice, Nicholas Kerton-Johnson, Loy Chair of the Taylor University political science department, said.
“America has overcome some of the best anti-aircraft defense systems in the world, because the Iranians bought (their systems) from Russia,” Kerton-Johnson said. “Some of the most advanced systems, and they've been next to useless.”
Iran has lost roughly 75% of its missile launcher force since the start of the conflict on Feb. 28, Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) reports said. The United States has conducted sustained attacks in Iran, killing over 1,000 soldiers with only 13 casualties.
As details of the rescue are released, civilians are learning more about the capability of the United States military and its leaders. For Connor Schelle, a freshman management major who plans to join the U.S. National Guard within the year, it hit closer to home.
“It gives me more confidence in my country and the people running it,” said Schelle. “You're not getting left out there by yourself; they've got you. They have your back.”
“Leave no one behind” is a sacred creed of the United States military. This mission proved that phrase is more than a slogan. Those words are lived and breathed by soldiers, who, in President Trump’s words, will “move heaven and earth” to protect their brothers and sisters.
