US Airman Downed In Iran Shares Harrowing Story For The First Time

The US airman downed over Iran in April has revealed how he survived a terrifying fall, broken bones, and an intense Iranian manhunt before American forces pulled off a daring rescue.

The Air Force colonel, identified only by the mission call sign “Bravo,” was the weapons systems officer aboard an F-15E Strike Eagle known as Dude 44 when an Iranian missile struck the aircraft.

Bravo and the pilot, identified as “Alpha,” ejected separately and landed about 5 miles apart in mountainous terrain south of Isfahan. Alpha was rescued about eight hours later, but Bravo remained trapped behind enemy lines for roughly two days.

Bravo told CBS’ “60 Minutes” that his parachute had been damaged in the attack. As he plunged toward the ground, he fought to “unfurl or pull pieces of the parachute loose.”

“It was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen,” he said.

The impact broke his back, arm and shoulder. He also suffered a sprained ankle and bloody cuts and scrapes to his face and head.

Despite his injuries, Bravo climbed a 7,000-foot ridgeline while Iranian forces hunted him. He carried little more than a pistol, communications equipment and a tracking beacon. US military sources told CBS that Iranian troops came within several hundred meters of his position.

“As soon as I found a spot that I felt provided some concealment, I started working toward communication,” “Bravo” told CBS’ Norah O’Donnell. “When I got to the moment where I could review and think about all that I’d gone through, I sent ‘God is good,’” he added, describing the first message he sent.

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MUST WATCH: The incredible true story of the U.S. Air Force officer shot down in Iran, his heroic rescue, and his faith that sustained him.

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The Pentagon has kept both crew members’ identities secret because of safety concerns and the danger of disclosing sensitive information.

Bravo hid inside a mountain crevice as hundreds of American military and intelligence personnel mounted one of the largest and most complicated rescue operations in US military history.

The mission included elite special operations forces, among them Army Delta Force and Navy SEAL Team Six, while CIA operatives carried out a deception campaign intended to throw Iranian forces off the airman’s trail.

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US forces also jammed Iranian electronics and bombed roads around Bravo’s location as rescuers closed in.

Newly declassified Pentagon footage aired by CBS showed two elite Air Force pararescue operators advancing toward Bravo, grabbing him and carrying him to an American helicopter. Bravo declined to reveal what his rescuers said when they reached him.

The mission nearly suffered a major setback during the escape. Two MC-130J special operations transport aircraft carrying members of the rescue force became stuck in the sand and could not take off because of mechanical problems.

Roughly 100 American personnel were briefly at risk of being stranded inside Iran. Commanders sent smaller aircraft to extract the force in stages before US troops destroyed the two disabled MC-130Js and four helicopters to prevent sensitive equipment from falling into Iranian hands.

CNN reported Saturday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and political appointees pushed for both crew members to appear in the highly publicized CBS interview despite concerns within the military chain of command. Alpha declined to participate, while Bravo agreed.

Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell denied the report.

“This entire story is a complete lie,” Parnell said when asked about CNN’s reporting.

“The decision to participate in the interview was each pilot’s alone — because it is their story,” he added. “As CNN notes, one pilot decided to participate and one did not. Additionally, the Department took great care to ensure operational security, sources, and methods were protected.”

Bravo said the sight of American rescuers appearing on the ridgeline “was one of the greatest moments of my life, and I don’t know how to say it any more clearly than ‘thank you’ for all that they did.”

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