Former US Commander: US Military Upholds Tradition, Rescues Comrade in Enemy Territory, Delivers Painful Lesson to Iran
A former U.S. military commander praised the operation to rescue the pilot of an F-15E shot down in Iranian territory, describing it as an example of the U.S. military's tradition of entering enemy territory to save comrades. He stated that this operation delivered a "painful lesson" to Iran.
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- 📰 Published: April 6, 2026 at 21:39
- 🔍 Collected: April 6, 2026 at 23:28 (1h 49m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 7, 2026 at 00:23 (55 min after Collected)
On the 3rd, a U.S. F-15E fighter jet was shot down by Iranian artillery fire. Later the same day, two military helicopters rescued the pilot, but the second person on board went missing in the Iranian mountains, armed only with a pistol for self-defense. The U.S. then launched an emergency search and rescue operation, deploying dozens of U.S. commandos, and dozens of fighter jets and helicopters.
Early this morning, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the missing personnel had been found "deep in the Iranian mountains." It was reported that in this high-risk operation, the U.S. used bombs and weapon firepower to prevent Iranian forces from approaching.
Former commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), retired General Frank McKenzie, offered several observations on the search and rescue operation for the missing U.S. Air Force personnel today on CBS's "Face the Nation" program.
He argued that the success of this operation could "give Iran a painful lesson" and praised the execution of the plan as "quite effective."
McKenzie said, "Our training for these kinds of operations is continuous. Every time we send aircrews into enemy airspace, we always draw up detailed and meticulous rescue plans," adding, "This is a very fundamental part of who we are as American servicemen and women."
U.S. officials stated that during the search and rescue, two transport aircraft were unable to take off from a remote base within Iran. To prevent them from falling into Iranian hands, they were self-destructed by U.S. forces. Additionally, on the 3rd, another A-10 Warthog attack aircraft participating in the search and rescue mission was hit, forcing the pilot to eject. This individual was later rescued in the Persian Gulf.
In response, McKenzie noted that although the U.S. lost several aircraft in the operation, "it takes a year to build an aircraft," whereas "it takes 200 years to build a military tradition of leaving no one behind."
McKenzie also told CBS News reporter Ed O'Keefe on the program that despite Iranian leaders calling on the entire nation to hand over the individual, the weapon systems officer, who had been hiding in Iran for more than a day, could not be found. "This may be a sign of dissatisfaction (among the people). I don't know, but if you are a senior leader in Tehran, you would probably not be very happy." (Compiled by: Yang Zhaoyan) 1150406
Early this morning, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the missing personnel had been found "deep in the Iranian mountains." It was reported that in this high-risk operation, the U.S. used bombs and weapon firepower to prevent Iranian forces from approaching.
Former commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), retired General Frank McKenzie, offered several observations on the search and rescue operation for the missing U.S. Air Force personnel today on CBS's "Face the Nation" program.
He argued that the success of this operation could "give Iran a painful lesson" and praised the execution of the plan as "quite effective."
McKenzie said, "Our training for these kinds of operations is continuous. Every time we send aircrews into enemy airspace, we always draw up detailed and meticulous rescue plans," adding, "This is a very fundamental part of who we are as American servicemen and women."
U.S. officials stated that during the search and rescue, two transport aircraft were unable to take off from a remote base within Iran. To prevent them from falling into Iranian hands, they were self-destructed by U.S. forces. Additionally, on the 3rd, another A-10 Warthog attack aircraft participating in the search and rescue mission was hit, forcing the pilot to eject. This individual was later rescued in the Persian Gulf.
In response, McKenzie noted that although the U.S. lost several aircraft in the operation, "it takes a year to build an aircraft," whereas "it takes 200 years to build a military tradition of leaving no one behind."
McKenzie also told CBS News reporter Ed O'Keefe on the program that despite Iranian leaders calling on the entire nation to hand over the individual, the weapon systems officer, who had been hiding in Iran for more than a day, could not be found. "This may be a sign of dissatisfaction (among the people). I don't know, but if you are a senior leader in Tehran, you would probably not be very happy." (Compiled by: Yang Zhaoyan) 1150406