(White House Communication Office Press Release, September 14, 2026; Cover photo credit: USAF)
For the first time, a U.S. Air Force officer shot down over Iran — mission call sign DUDE 44 Bravo — told America his story. In an exclusive 60 Minutes interview, Bravo delivered a powerful account of survival, faith, and combat leadership — a testament to the unmatched bravery of our nation’s warfighters and to the Trump Administration’s renewed focus on readiness, lethality, and standards.
In April, after their F-15E Strike Eagle went down deep inside Iran, Bravo and his pilot, DUDE 44 Alpha, ejected — landing miles apart behind enemy lines. What followed was one of the most daring rescue operations in modern military history, culminating in Bravo’s Easter Sunday rescue.
- “Given the terrain that I faced, I think you’d find it surprising what I was able to go to overcome given those injuries — but I did it because of the WARRIOR ETHOS that we talk about. My airmen that we led in theater had months of hearing of the importance of warrior ethos and how we are going to apply it — and I saw them apply that in the lead up to the conflict, during the conflict, night after night with unprecedented threats against them, and yet they’re doing their job at a way that no one would have thought possible. I owed it to them to show the same warrior ethos in my situation and walk the same walk that I’ve been talking for months.” (Watch)
- “It’s hard to describe the depth of my gratitude, not just for those who came to get me but for millions of Americans that were supporting me… It’s important for America to hear what we’re capable of and remember that there are thousands of Americans that are out protecting us and defending us every day.” (Watch)
- “This is not a story about what I went through. Instead, it’s a story of the teamwork, the training, of the faith, of the decisions, the leadership, to do something that will live in history as an example of what America is willing to do in order to uphold our promise and leave no man behind.” (Watch)
No American lives were lost and both aviators came home. This is this Administration’s promise in action: fight to win, hold the line on standards, and never leave our people behind.
