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High-risk effort to save ‘Dude 44’ crew is most incredible combat rescue in US history
You have just seen the most audacious air combat search-and-rescue mission in American history. No other mission compares to the operation to bring home the F-15E crew known as ‘Dude 44.’
U.S. military helicopters have been picking up downed pilots under fire since the Korean War. In Vietnam, pilots were plucked from the tall grass and karst ridges and jungles under enemy fire. U.S. Air Force rescuers saved 1,201 aircrew from the Air Force alone, and a total of 2,780 U.S. service members in combat situations.
Over Iran, the sheer number of planes and people involved and exposed to danger dwarfs any other single rescue in the annals of air warfare. For nearly 48 hours, beginning at 4:40 a.m. local time on April 2, over 155 aircraft and hundreds of military personnel put their lives on the line for a mission 200 miles inside Iran. And everyone came back alive. That’s air dominance.
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“This rescue captured the world’s imagination,” President Donald Trump said at the Pentagon on Monday. The astonishing technology of a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle is remote, and almost superhuman in its sophistication. But from the moment Americans learned that two aviators were down in Iran, our hearts pounded. We felt, at the most basic human level, their struggle to survive, evade, hide and hope.
“They always knew we would be coming to get them,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said.
With Operation Epic Fury in week five, ‘Dude 44’ was part of the push to eliminate the remainder of Iran’s military power. All combat missions are given a random callsign used just for that sortie; it’s for radio calls to homebase, command and control, the tanker, etc. ‘Dude’ is one of the more popular, but sometimes you get a callsign like “Poptart.”
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‘Dude 44’ was a night mission. The F-15E is the workhorse of Operation Epic Fury. It carries the biggest bomb payload of any U.S. fighter. F-15E crews often have hundreds of combat hours racked up over Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and now Iran. The two officers of ‘Dude 44’ likely had double-digit missions over Iran to their credit.
They were about to face the worst-case scenario. This F-15E was 200 miles inside Iran when something – a shoulder-fired infrared missile locking on to their engine heat, or anti-aircraft fire – hit them.
At 4:40 a.m. local Iran time, the first rescue began. While joint forces knew both airmen had survived, it was only the pilot they located at first. Rescuers prized a quick daybreak mission that can achieve surprise. What they got was seven hours inside Iranian airspace. The Air Force HH-60W Jolly Green IIs are purpose-built for rescue. They have radars, self-defense chaff and flares, the most sophisticated Link 16 datalinks to other planes, and of course, 7.62mm and .50-caliber guns.
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A U.S. Air Force A-10 Warthog fighter loitered and maintained radio communication with the pilot on the ground, to coordinate an exact pick-up spot. A-10s and other aircraft kept up surveillance and shot at anything moving toward the pilot. The Iranians shot back; Caine called it a close-in gunfight and “an incredibly dangerous mission.” The lead A-10 callsign “Sandy,” designator for special training in search and rescue, took so much fire that the pilot ultimately had to exit Iran’s airspace and bail out.
All this time, a fleet of 155 aircraft set up seven different deception areas to fool the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). B-1 bombers, F-22s, F-35s, F-16s, more F-15s and A-10s created the appearance of multiple search and rescue operations. Above them, 48 tankers, many over Iranian skies, supplied air refueling. Count the participants: hundreds of airmen, special forces and other members of the joint force. This preponderance of airpower faked out the IRGC forces.
Anxious hours passed, yet Central Command dared not launch the second rescue mission because searchers could not pinpoint the F-15E Weapons Systems Officer or “back-seater.”
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During a rescue, it’s possible to have radio contact or indications of life – but not to know exactly where the airman is. Down in unfamiliar mountains, wounded and bleeding, the airman can only describe what he sees. Devices like infrared strobes can signal to watching aircraft. But Iran’s forces were closing in, making concealment imperative.
Fortunately, as CIA Director John Ratcliffe described it, the back-seater was “invisible to the enemy but not to the CIA.” Careful sweep monitoring at a range of about 40 miles, as described by Trump, yielded the first clue of slight movement. Then the back-seater stood up in his mountain crevice – and that was enough. “We have him,” Trump recounted. (Even Trump cautiously chose his words when talking about this highly classified capability; suffice it to say, our side has been working on the ability to detect and characterize slight motion in terrain for quite some time.)
Trump’s decision to greenlight the back-seater rescue was high stakes. Two powerful, specially modified HC-130Js landed and disgorged three MH-6 “Little Bird” helicopters. Small but heavily armed, the three helicopters were unpacked in less than 10 minutes, according to Trump. The team retrieved the back-seater from the mountain. To no one’s surprise, while the HC-130Js landed, they could not taxi fast enough to reach take-off speed in the wet sand and dirt. Trump described how “other aircraft” came to lift out all personnel.
Finally, American fighters strafed and destroyed the HC-130Js to keep secrets out of the hands of Iran – and their cronies in Russia and China. As Caine said, “People are more important than hardware.” Still, you’ll be glad to know C-130Js are still made in Marietta, Georgia. And brand-new F-15EX Eagle II fighters for the Air Force are on the production line in St. Louis.
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Ex-Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene joins left-wing calls for the 25th amendment as Iran deadline nears
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called for President Donald Trump to be removed from office via the 25th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
“25TH AMENDMENT!!! Not a single bomb has dropped on America. We cannot kill an entire civilization. This is evil and madness,” Greene wrote on X.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
Greene’s post featured a screenshot of Trump’s Tuesday Truth Social post in which he ominously warned that Iran’s “civilization will die tonight.”
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“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Trump declared in the Truth Social post.
“However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!” he added.
Greene, a once-fierce Trump ally, had a bitter falling out with the president last year and has become a vociferous critic of the commander in chief.
Some sitting Democratic lawmakers have also called for the president to be booted from office.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., a member of the progressive cadre of lawmakers known as “The Squad,” is one of those calling for Trump’s ouster.
“Sickeningly evil. Donald Trump must be impeached. When will it be enough for my Republican colleagues to grow spines and remove him from office?” she wrote in a Tuesday post on X.
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Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wisc., declared in a Tuesday post on X, “25th Amendment RIGHT NOW! Trump is too unhinged, dangerous, and deranged to have the nuclear codes!”
Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., who last year introduced impeachment articles against Trump, declared in a Tuesday post on X, “Trump just threatened to slaughter 100 million people. It’s clear he’s unfit to be president, the 25th amendment must be invoked. If Vance, Rubio & the others continue to be spineless cowards, Congress must do everything possible to stop Trump & this war.”
In a Truth Social post issued on Easter Sunday, the president warned, “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F[—]kin’ Strait, you crazy b——, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”
Omar responded to the president’s comments, declaring in a Monday post on X, “This is not ok. Invoke the 25th amendment. Impeach. Remove. This unhinged lunatic must be removed from office.”
Greene declared in a Sunday post on X that the president had “gone insane.”
“Everyone in his administration that claims to be a Christian needs to fall on their knees and beg forgiveness from God and stop worshipping the President and intervene in Trump’s madness. I know all of you and him and he has gone insane, and all of you are complicit,” she asserted in part of the lengthy post. “This is not making America great again, this is evil.”
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US embassies in Bahrain, Egypt issue warnings as Iran threatens universities across Middle East
The U.S. Embassy in Bahrain told American citizens in the country to shelter in place on Tuesday, as the embassy in Egypt issued its own caution to Americans amid threats that Iran and its terror proxies may try to target American universities across the Middle East.
The embassy in Manama directed all U.S. government employees, along with all other Americans in the country, to shelter in a secure structure and stay away from windows until further notice.
“Iran and its aligned terrorist militias may intend to target American universities in Bahrain,” the embassy said. “Iran has specifically threatened American universities across the Middle East.”
The embassy provided instructions to those Americans who wish to leave the Middle East.
“If you want to leave the Middle East, the U.S. government is ready to assist by providing you the latest information about the departure options available,” it said.
For those who wish to remain and shelter in place, the embassy reminded them to have a supply of food, water, medications and other essential items.
“We urge all Americans to remain vigilant, follow local authorities’ instructions, and review the latest guidance from the U.S. Embassy or Consulate,” the embassy said.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Cairo advised U.S. citizens to closely monitor the news for regional developments.
“Egyptian authorities generally offer effective security protection,” the embassy said. “However, extremists and Iranian-aligned actors have expressed interest in planning and carrying out attacks in the region. Iran and its aligned terrorist militias may intend to target universities in the Middle East. Iran has specifically threatened American universities across the Middle East.”
Lady Gaga has apologized to fans after canceling a show at the last minute.
On Monday, the “Poker Face” singer took to social media to share that she would be canceling her performance at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, due to an ongoing respiratory infection.
“I’m so sorry to share that I’m unable to perform tonight and have to cancel the show,” she wrote on her Instagram Stories. “I’ve been fighting a respiratory infection for the past few days and doing everything I can to rest and recover, but it’s gotten worse.”
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“My doctor has strongly advised me not to perform today and to be honest I don’t think I could give you the quality of a performance today that you deserve,” she continued.
“I know how deeply disappointing this is, and I truly could not feel worse about letting you down,” Gaga concluded. “I’m so sorry to everyone who made plans to be there and support me. Being in Montreal and performing for you on Thursday and Friday was magical and deeply meaningful. To everyone who was coming tonight, I’m absolutely heartbroken and so sorry.”
This isn’t the first time Gaga has been forced to cancel a show at the last minute.
In September, just before she was set to take the stage in Miami, Gaga pulled the plug on her gig due to a vocal cord issue that could put her voice at risk.
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The “Bad Romance” singer, who kicked off her Mayhem Ball Tour in July, took to Instagram to share the news with her 61 million followers.
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“Hi everyone I am really so so sorry but I need to postpone tonight’s show in Miami,” Gaga, who was scheduled to perform a two-hour show at the Kaseya Center in Miami, wrote in an Instagram Story. “During rehearsal last night and my vocal warmup tonight my voice was extremely strained and both my [doctor] and vocal coach have advised me not to go on because of the risk it poses.”
“I want to be hardcore and just push through this for you but I don’t want to risk long term or permanent damage on my vocal cords,” she continued. “There is a significant risk based on all our combined experience with a show like ours and as you know I sing live every night — and even though this was a hard and agonizing decision I would be more afraid of the long term implications on my voice. I hope you can forgive me and accept my sincerest apologies for any disappointment. Let down. Inconvenience.”
“I tried so hard to avoid this,” she concluded. “I take serious care of myself to be able to put on this highly demanding show. I love my fans so much. Respect you and hope you can accept my sincere regretful apology. We are trying to reschedule the show as quickly as possible.”
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