Hero's selfie

US Air Force colonel 'Dude 44 Bravo' flashes triumphant thumbs-up in selfie after 50-hour rescue from Iran.

“I had injuries, but we all train to adapt and overcome the things that we're faced with”

Rescue operation

US forces took nearly 50 hours to rescue the airman from a remote mountain ridge in Iran after his F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down.

Injuries and escape

Bravo suffered a broken back, arm, shoulder, and sprained ankle after ejecting from his $30 million F-15E Strike Eagle.

Parachute failure

Bravo's parachute was damaged by the blast, leaving him freefalling at 70 to 100mph with no parachute visible.

Hiding in the mountains

Bravo hid in a crevice for nearly 50 hours after being shot down in the Zagros mountains, avoiding Iranian forces.

SOS beacon

Bravo used an emergency beacon sparingly to avoid giving his location away, broadcasting a faint SOS until picked up by the CIA.

Rescue mission

US forces deployed over 90 special operators to reach Bravo via helicopter and evacuate him from a desert airstrip.

Rescue challenges

Bravo's rescue planes got stuck in the sand and couldn't take off, forcing a clandestine Air Force unit to extract them.

Rescue success

Bravo was rescued after 50 hours, with US forces striking Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces near his hiding place.

Bravo's reaction

Bravo called his wife and said he was 'really proud of her and grateful for the strength that she showed'.

Bravo's words

Bravo described the rescue as '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, in order to uphold our promise and leave no man behind'.

Iranian response

Iranian commanders were likely to be infuriated by the selfie, which could score a propaganda coup for US forces.

Rescue timeline

Bravo was shot down on April 3, 2026, and rescued after 50 hours by US forces in Iran.

Rescue details

The rescue involved more than 150 American aircraft and thousands of military personnel, marking the first US boots on the ground in Iran in 46 years.

Bravo's injuries

Bravo suffered a broken back, arm, shoulder, and sprained ankle after ejecting from his F-15E Strike Eagle.

Rescue outcome

Bravo was rescued after 50 hours, with US forces striking Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces near his hiding place.