Dude 44 Bravo, an officer of the US Air Force, remained in the mountains of Iran for nearly 50 hours after his plane, F-15E, was struck by a missile fired by Iranian troops. Injured seriously after a risky fall from the aircraft, the officer escaped from Iranian troops, climbed the 7,000-feet ridge and survived without food and water until rescued by a US team.
Bravo, who was the weapons systems officer in the two-person F-15E crew, revealed for the first time what happened to him. The officer narrated his story at the first episode of the 60 Minutes of CBS on Sunday.
The incident occurred on April 2 when the plane was flying over a mountainous region of Iran. The damage caused by the missile to Bravo’s parachute led him to fall from the sky rapidly.
Who Is Bravo, the US Air Force Officer Shot Down Over Iran?
The call sign for Bravo refers to the US Air Force officer that was the weapons systems officer on the two-man crew operating the F-15E plane. The pilot had the call sign of Alpha.
The aircraft was hit when the crew was flying over a mountainous area in Iran. The missile hit Bravo’s parachute, resulting in him being in danger as he fell down to the ground. Alpha was rescued immediately, but Bravo was left alone in enemy territory with many injuries.
How Did Bravo Survive After His Parachute Was Damaged?
The worst moment according to Bravo was when he looked up and found out that his parachute had ceased working. “Once I looked up and I saw that my parachute did not function anymore, that was the most terrifying experience of my life,” said Bravo in his first report on what had taken place. “So I stopped, and then I started praying, ‘Lord, Thy will be done. But if I’m going to get out of this alive, I need some assistance,’”
Bravo stated that he was falling down from the sky at a speed of somewhere from 70 to 100 miles per hour until he landed. His landing broke his back, arm, and shoulder. Regardless of all the problems, he was aware that staying in the vicinity of the crash site may lead to his capture. That is why he started moving further from the area.
How Did Bravo Climb a 7,000-Foot Ridge With Broken Bones?
Even with several injuries, Bravo managed to climb a ridgeline up to 7,000 feet. Bravo thought that the isolated mountain environment would offer him a better option of hiding from Iranians searching for the crew that had been shot down.
It was very hard work due to the injuries as well as the bad weather. Bravo spent one more day in the cold winds of the mountain desert with no food or water. The main goal of Bravo was to hide until the US forces would find him.
“Never let lack of motivation make you an Iranian TV star,” said Bravo. This saying showed the possible risk that Bravo had faced in case he was discovered by Iranians.
How Close Were Iranian Forces to Finding Bravo?
Iranian forces were looking for the American crew who was downed while Bravo was hiding. As stated by US military, the Iranians had come close to within a few hundred meters of Bravo when they were searching. Meanwhile, the US military was trying to track the movements of Iranian forces and find the exact location of Bravo. This became a race against time as the American forces had to locate Bravo before the Iranian forces could get to him.
How Did the US Rescue Bravo from Iran?
This mission entailed many Americans. Over 90 American soldiers took part in the rescue mission on the ground, while hundreds of others were in the air assisting with the mission. Many more Americans were in supporting roles for the mission.
Another crucial factor that played an important role in the success of the mission was the assistance rendered to the US military by the CIA in misleading the Iranians and locating Bravo.
Finally, Bravo was located by the rescue team after staying in Iran for over 50 hours. Bravo did not tell the entire story of the meeting with the rescue team, but he managed to remember what he said to them.
Why Did the US Destroy Two Aircraft During Bravo’s Rescue?
The discovery of Bravo was not the immediate end of the operation because there was another challenge that the rescue team had to face as the landing gear of the rescue aircraft got stuck in the sand in the desert runway.
The aircraft was unable to take off, leaving more than 90 US soldiers stranded. A special US Air Force unit was then called in to deal with the problem. The US military finally decided to destroy the two aircraft which were estimated to be worth about $100 million apiece. The aircraft were destroyed in order to prevent the loss of the aircraft’s technology and equipment to the Iranians. The Little Birds that participated in the operation were also destroyed.
How Long Did Bravo Remain in Iran?
Bravo was picked up about 50 hours after his plane had been hit. The rescue of Bravo happened at sunrise on Easter Sunday. After leaving Iran, he phoned his wife in the United States. Thinking about the help he got from her during that ordeal, Bravo is very thankful to her. “I was very proud of her and grateful for her strength,” Bravo said.
Why Did Bravo Call His Survival a “Modern-Day Miracle”?
Bravo considered himself lucky enough as he lived through “a modern day miracle”, despite all the difficulties of injuries, bad weather, shortage of food and water and the continuous danger of discovery.
But according to him, this story is not just about his survival. He mentioned teamwork, training, belief, decision-making and leadership, which were needed to accomplish this rescue mission.
“It’s a story of the teamwork, the training, of the faith, of the decisions and the leadership to do something that will live in history as an example of what America’s willing to do, to uphold our promise and leave no man behind.”
The story told by Bravo is a first-hand account of how he survived after his aircraft went down over Iran. Despite being injured severely, he was able to distance himself from the scene of crash, climbed up a 7,000 feet ridgeline and remained hidden for almost two days before he was safely rescued.
