Air Force officer recounts 50-hour ordeal after being shot down over Iran

A U.S. Air Force officer, identified by his mission call sign Bravo, has recounted for the first time his harrowing 50-hour ordeal after being shot down over Iran in April. The weapons systems officer described a terrifying freefall and a complex rescue mission that marked the first American boots on the ground in Iran in 46 years. The incident occurred on April 2, when Bravo and his pilot, call sign Alpha, were flying an F15E Strike Eagle on a mission to strike industrial facilities related to Iran's drone and missile program near Isfahan. According to U.S. military officials, their aircraft, designated Dude 44, was hit by an Iranian shoulder-fired missile. Bravo described the impact as feeling like being hit by a freight train. The crew ejected, but Bravo's parachute was damaged in the attack. He plummeted toward the desert floor at an estimated speed between 70 and 100 mph, an impact that broke his back, arm, and shoulder. "At one point when I looked up and saw no parachute, that was the most terrifying thing I've ever seen," Bravo said in an interview. "So I paused, right then, and I prayed, Lord, your will be done. But if I'm getting through this, I need help.