The White House has confirmed the missing weapons systems officer from an F-15E shot down in Iran on Friday was rescued early Sunday morning after what Green Beret-turned-journalist Jack Murphy said was a “fierce firefight.” The backseater and his pilot ejected after taking fire from Iranian defense forces. The pilot was recovered near to where he landed. According to Murphy, the WSO has been on the run with Iranians (perhaps civilians after a reward) since his ejection. President Donald Trump celebrated the successful outcome early Sunday, calling the WSO a “highly respected colonel” and saying he was in constant contact with himself and high-ranking military officials.
“This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour, but was never truly alone because his Commander in Chief, Secretary of War, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and fellow Warfighters were monitoring his location 24 hours a day, and diligently planning for his rescue,” he wrote on social media. It’s not clear why a colonel would be acting as a WSO in a combat zone. Full colonels are usually in some kind of command position and operating in a front line position seems unusual. He reportedly was injured in the ejection and climbed 7,000 feet up a mountain where he hid in a crevice while the rescue was mounted.
The Air Force reportedly lost two C-130 combat search and rescue aircraft in the operation. The planes became disabled due to mechanical issues after landing inside Iran and their crews destroyed them both to prevent sensitive equipment from falling into Iranian hands. Replacements (possibly C-146 Wolfhounds) had to be brought in, delaying the mission. Four MH-6 Little Bird helicopters were also blown up after being used to bring out the rescuers after the colonel had been secured. Little Birds are based on MD 530E light single engine civilian helicopters and are known for their speed and agility.
Meanwhile an Air Force A-10 attack aircraft was reportedly shot down over Iran Friday, becoming the second aircraft lost to Iranian air defenses in less than 24 hours. According to the Washington Post the A-10 pilot was able to fly the damaged aircraft to Kuwaiti airspace where they ejected safely and were picked up by a rescue crew. The Times also reported that two U.S. search and rescue helicopters were also hit by Iranian fire and that personnel onboard were injured. Both helicopters were able to return to their bases.
“We are on track”
So. Much. Winning.
Incredible!
This article should have been accompanied by a video clip of a dottering blue-haired grandmother sitting at a slot machine, robotically feeding gold coins into it maw.
Both have been recovered and returned to friendly territory.
Great job by the CSAR crews.
Sadly, one crew member is still missing.
Those folks are fantastic! “That others may live”.
I am thankful for this rescue and outraged why our leadership has put these military personnel in this unwinnable, dangerous mission to both attack Iran’s civilian infrastructure killing civilians ( war crimes), and attempt the tactical impossibility of opening the Strait of Hormuz to US/Israeli shipping. The aircraft losses in the last 36 hours in this debacle:
F-15E destroyed
A-10C destroyed
A-10C damaged returned to base(RTB)
CH-47 destroyed in Kuwait
F-16 damaged RTB
HH-60W damaged in SAR RTB
HH-60W damaged in SAR RTB
F-16 squawk 7700 over Iraq RTB
KC-135R squawk 7700 RTB
MQ-9 destroyed (22 destroyed since 2/28/26)
F-15E crew ejected with injuries, both Blackhawks in the initial SAR attempt where seriously damaged with crew injuries, A-10C destroyed with another pilot ejection, A-10C damaged but returned to base in Kuwait, F-16 and KC-135R over Iraq declaring emergencies and returned to base (but which one?… as all of the US bases in the Persian Gulf are destroyed and mostly evacuated) making these airplanes virtually unrepairable without parts and maintainence personnel let alone potential crew injuries.. and the 82nd Airborne is in Kuwait barracked in local hotels ( a war crime) because the Kuwait base is heavily damaged, waiting for the suicidal call to invade somewhere on 1,000 kilometers of Iranian coastline bordering the Strait of Hormuz. 22 MQ-9’s at $31-$35 million apiece shot down out of a total inventory of 189, not including the one E-3 Sentrie destroyed and another damaged on the ground in Saudi Arabia of last week…and Peace President Donald J. Trump and former Fox and Friends now Secretary of War Pete Hegseth saying the following declaring VICTORY accomplished via air supremecy and special ops military lethality. If this is what our government claims as air supremacy therefore winning, I hate to find out what the cost is in treasure and hardware in losing!
How many are truly injured and/or killed in this intense SAR and subsequent rescue firefight? Nothing honest coming from these two’s lips and CENTCOM totally silent. And Peace POTUS has the audacity to end his gleeful gaslighting post with Happy Easter! How noble, diplomatic, thoughtful, and “religiously spiritual”.
“FROM PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP
“WE GOT HIM! My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History, for one of our incredible Crew Member Officers, who also happens to be a highly respected Colonel, and who I am thrilled to let you know is now SAFE and SOUND! This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour, but was never truly alone because his Commander in Chief, Secretary of War, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and fellow Warfighters were monitoring his location 24 hours a day, and diligently planning for his rescue. At my direction, the U.S. Military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the World, to retrieve him. He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine. This miraculous Search and Rescue Operation comes in addition to a successful rescue of another brave Pilot, yesterday, which we did not confirm, because we did not want to jeopardize our second rescue operation. This is the first time in military memory that two U.S. Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory. WE WILL NEVER LEAVE AN AMERICAN WARFIGHTER BEHIND! The fact that we were able to pull off both of these operations, without a SINGLE American killed, or even wounded, just proves once again, that we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies. This is a moment that ALL Americans, Republican, Democrat, and everyone else, should be proud of and united around. We truly have the best, most professional, and lethal Military in the History of the World. GOD BLESS AMERICA, GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS, AND HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!”
It’s a war crime for soldiers to be barracked in a hotel? Who is writing this drivel?
More “drivel”…please read to the bottom for full understanding of “drivel” you are contesting.
Barracking troops in a hotel is generally not a war crime. However, it may be considered a violation of international humanitarian law (IHL) if certain conditions are not met, and it fundamentally changes the hotel’s legal status from a protected civilian object to a legitimate military objective. Lieber Institute West Point
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Legal Status and Implications
Current Expert Debate (2026)
Recent reports concerning U.S. troops moving from bases to hotels in Middle Eastern city centers have sparked legal debate: X
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Well, you’re the one who called it a war crime in your original post, so there’s that.
“It becomes a war crime if troops are intentionally placed in a hotel specifically to use the presence of civilians to shield the military from attack. ”
You are absolutely right calling me out for a war crime vs potential war crime. Since neither of us officially know our government’s intent…we will soon find out by our escalatory actions and Iran’s legal retaliation if this is a war crime or just a violation of Geneva Convenion Article 58:
Loss of Protection: Under the Geneva Conventions, civilian objects (like hotels) lose their protection if they are used for military purposes, such as housing combatants. This makes the hotel a legitimate military targetfor an adversary.
Passive Precautions: Article 58 of Additional Protocol I requires military forces to avoid locating military objectives (including troops) within or near densely populated civilian areas to the “maximum extent feasible”.
Human Shields: It becomes a war crime if troops are intentionally placed in a hotel specifically to use the presence of civilians to shield the military from attack. Simply billeting troops in a hotel because other housing is unavailable is a common practice and not typically classified as using human shields. Lieber Institute West Point
So, there’s that.
“If ever there was a time to subordinate individual or group selfishness to the national good, that time is now. Disunity at home—bickering, self-seeking partisanship, stoppages of work, inflation, business as usual, politics as usual, luxury as usual these are the influences which can undermine the morale of the brave [service members] ready to die at the front for us here.”
President Roosevelt, 1944 State of the Union speech.
Point taken for the 1944 context characterized by a true congressional declaration of war subsequent to an attack on the US by another nation. This is not that.
You aren’t REALLY looking to kick off a comparison of the two presidents’ records, are you? Not taking the bait. That would be truly absurd.
But, I guess we have to admit that both men were itching for a fight.
I’m not. I’m just highlighting the need to focus support for the troops in theater. Partly because this is not the forum for such arguments, I’m not implying any comment about the legality/illegality, acceptability, virtue, etc… of this conflict.
Can’t go anywhere these days to escape their whinging. I am confident they had hoped to see this officer get caught and Iran parading him through their cities and holding him hostage to secure lord-knows-what in return. They would have loved to slap that into the nemesis’ face. That’s why they are so upset today instead of rejoicing. Which begs the question : how have we come to a situation where for stuff as silly as political preference people are -en masse- happy to thrown a sacrificial servicemember to the most evil opponent the US has faced in 80y ? Polarization has gone too far, people have completely lost the plot and prefer to side w terrorist regimes over a political opponent back home. Just my 2c.
Yeah, I’m about ready to ditch this subscription.
Why is a USAF Colonel in the backseat of an F-15E as a weapon’s officer over Iran, let alone, without air supremecy?
As of early 2026, an Air Force Colonel (O-6) typically has over 22 years of service, making the average age for this rank approximately 47 to 55 years old.
Pay Information (2025–2026):
Base Pay: The starting base pay for a Colonel (O-6) is roughly $8,751.30 per month (< 2 years in grade, though they are usually senior) and increases to over $10,284 per month based on experience.
Annual Base Pay Range: An Air Force Colonel's annual base pay typically ranges from roughly $105,000 to over $180,000 for those with 15+ years of service.
Total Compensation: When including housing allowance (BAH) and subsistence allowance (BAS), total compensation often exceeds $150,000–$200,000+ per year, depending on location and longevity.
Air Force
Air Force
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Key Takeaways:
Experience Level: Colonels are senior officers with roughly two decades of experience before reaching this rank.
Command Roles: They often command wings (1,000–4,000+ airmen).
Longevity Increases: Pay increases significantlywith years of service, particularly after 15–20 years.
More recent reports have stated his rank as a Lt Col which more align with an officer in a flying billet..
It’s called leadership by example. The Navy and the USAF has done this for years. When you deploy, everybody gets to fly in the rotation. You don’t get to select the mission based on risk, weather, mission assignment, etc. He or she probably was an O-5, the rank of most DO’s, CO’s and XO’s. He also could have been a reservist who was senior in rank and doing his job.
I wonder what weapon was aboard that F-15E that required a Colonel to be aboard as a wespon’s officer… that triggered a combined SAR operation of CIA, Moussad, and Navy Seal Team 6 to extricate this 47-55 year old USAF Colonel initially requiring 2 C-130’s and 2 Blackhawks for rescue delivery and support, resulting in sending in 3 more C-130’s to rescue all of the above military boots on the ground, the seriously injured Colonel, and the claimed US demolition of both the original C130’s and Blackhawks before those aircraft fell in Iranian military hands? … and combined air cover to suppress intense Iranian fire… and no one of the US boots on the ground was hurt? … with all this action supposedly located at an abandoned Iranian airbase?… close to a major city, in the mountains, but on flat ground? Seriously? Wow! Should be quite a press conference tomorrow filled with action details!
Combat pay? -Occam’s Razor
The cope runs strong with you.
Go back to BlueSky or Mastodon.
I recall reading diatribes like this back in the ’50s and ’60s. They originated from the USSR, DPRK, PRC, Cuba, IRGC (though that didn’t start until the ’70s), Venezuela, and current democrat strongholds who can say nothing that doesn’t condemn the current administration. Where do you live, H101? That Kool-Aid quench the need…?
In the buckle of the Bible Belt, with constitutional carry, 9 year Naval Aviation vet, former mission aviation pilot/mech/instructor, modifying, testing, supporting 182’s/206’s in Guyana, Philippines, Alaska, and New Guinea , A&P, strong Constitutionalist.
I don’t fit into your stereotypical blue box and your stereotypical thinking that if I am not red, I must be blue. Nor do I fit into your stereotypical red box. I love my country, I hate my current government. Doesn’t mean I liked the previous blue government. I condemn this administration because of what this administration does. Likewise, for Congress.
Our Constitution was neutered, ignored, violated, trampled on by the Iran-Contra fiasco iniated by coming up with a plan to get around the Boland Ammendment. You should look up the Boland Ammendment, get a little historical education on what it said and why Reagan with Oliver North, and the CIA did an end around both the Boland Ammendment and the Constitution resulting in the Iran-Contra Affair. It’s been all downhill from there with plenty of complicity from blue and red administrations since then to our present day leadership. And please, do not use Tom Cruise’s portrayal of Barry Seales, nor his ridiculous movie for some of your reference material.
I don’t believe in voting for the lesser of two evils. You still end up with evil. My position on Trump ( who is a private aircraft owner keeping our conversation aviation themed) is pretty easy to figure out from my AvBrief posts. I believe in a nation of 335 million we can find better presidential and congressional candidates than what we have endured with since the end of the Vietnam war. If wanting a return to a Constitutional Republic has become unpatriotic in 2026… guilty as charged.
It took place in a farmer’s field. It’s not unusual to have a Lt. Col in the backseat or front seat. I’ve had Generals in my back seat. He’s part of the fighting force and is qualified in the backseat.
No point in trying to counter the troll known as History 101. I’ve been seeing verbatim drivel under different handles on Breitbart, InfoWars, Revolver, etc. It’s here just to get a rise.
Instead of responding with rhetorical ad-hominem attacks (schoolyard-level discourse). Rationally discuss/debate, rebut with legitimate question …’facts’ and logic.
FLY-THE-AIRPLANE-FIRST …before making the ‘Command-Decision’?