‘God is good’: Inside the high-risk US mission to save a wounded airman shot down in Iran
In a scene that unfolded like a Hollywood script, hundreds of American troops descended into the rugged mountains of southwestern Iran on Saturday to rescue a wounded airman who had...
By Fox News · Fox News
In a scene that unfolded like a Hollywood script, hundreds of American troops descended into the rugged mountains of southwestern Iran on Saturday to rescue a wounded airman who had spent nearly two days hiding from Iranian forces. What followed was a high-stakes combat search-and-rescue mission deep inside Iran, with U.S. forces racing to locate and extract the wounded officer before Iranian troops could reach him, deploying a large contingent of special operations forces and aircraft into hostile territory. In total, the U.S. sent in more than 150 aircraft, sources told CBS News, and several different teams: Navy SEALs, Air Force Special Operations, Army Special Operations Aviation, search and rescue and combat medics. One of the two crew members was flown to Landstuhl regional medical center in Germany, typically the first stop for U.S. soldiers wounded in combat zones, and the other is being flown there Monday, a senior U.S. defense official told Fox News. As the rescue unfolded Easter Sunday, the pilot radioed a brief message to help U.S. forces identify him: "God is good," a senior U.S. defense official confirmed to Fox News. Here’s a look at how the scene unfolded. A U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down over Iran Friday, according to U.S. officials. Both the pilot and the weapons systems officer ejected from the aircraft. The aircraft was operating as part of ongoing U.S. combat operations over Iran when it was shot down, though officials have not publicly detailed its specific mission. While details of the incident were not immediately clear, Iranian state media released images of an ejection seat and debris that appeared consistent with an F-15E. Iran initially claimed it had downed a more advanced F-35 stealth fighter, but U.S. officials later confirmed the aircraft was an F-15 Strike Eagle. The F-15E Strike Eagle is a two-seat fighter jet flown by a pilot and a weapons systems officer, who manages targeting, sensors and weapons. The aircraft…