Five weeks into the war with Iran, two Air Force officers were flying an F-15E over the country when they were shot down.
The two officers landed about five miles apart. The pilot, identified by his call sign “Alpha,” was rescued within hours. The weapons systems officer, however, remained stranded for nearly two days.
Now, months later, one of those officers is speaking publicly about the ordeal for the first time.
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‘Bravo’ recounts being shot down
The weapons systems officer, identified only by his call sign, Bravo, told CBS’ “60 Minutes” about the moment their F-15E was hit, forcing him and his pilot to eject over the mountains of Iran.
“That day was just another day in the war for us, until the moment where we got hit by an Iranian weapon,” the officer said. “I think the best way I’ve been able to describe that moment was getting hit by a freight train. We do all we can to try to save the aircraft. It was evident that that wasn’t possible. And soon thereafter, we ejected and found ourselves floating over the heart of Iran.”
CBS anchor Norah O’Donnell asked whether the decision to eject was made within seconds.
“It is,” the officer said. “I will be thankful, to my dying day, for my pilot and crewmate, Alpha, for saving our lives and ejecting us.”
His time behind enemy lines
Bravo’s parachute was damaged — something he called “the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen.” He hit the ground and broke his back, arm and shoulder.
Military experts estimate Bravo hit the ground at between 70 and 100 miles an hour, calling his survival a “modern-day miracle.”
Despite his injuries, Bravo kept moving, hiking and climbing a 7,000-foot ridgeline.
He spent nearly two days alone behind enemy lines, evading capture without food or water.
Two elite Air Force pararescue operators eventually reached him, ending one of the largest and most complex search-and-rescue operations in U.S. military history.
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