Afghanistan, Sept. 14 -- Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, has described the operation to rescue two U.S. Air Force officers whose F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over Iran in April as one of the most complex combat search-and-rescue missions in U.S. military history.
The two-person crew, identified by the call signs "Dude 44 Alpha" and "Dude 44 Bravo," ejected after the aircraft was shot down during a combat mission over Iran on April 2. Alpha was rescued within hours, while Bravo, the aircraft's weapons systems officer, remained behind enemy lines for nearly two days before being recovered by U.S. forces. CBS News reported the details in an interview with Bravo for 60 Minutes.
Bravo described the moment the ai...