Dude 44’: How Air Force PJs and SEAL Team 6 Elements Helped Pull an F-15E Crew Out of Iran

After an F-15E Strike Eagle nicknamed “Dude 44” was shot down over Iran in April 2026, the weapons systems officer known as “Bravo” spent roughly 50 hours injured in the Zagros Mountains before rescue. CENTCOM later said about 92 U.S. troops operated on Iranian soil for the recovery — including Air Force pararescue and elements of SEAL Team 6, supported by MC-130s and 160th SOAR MH-6 Little Birds. In a September 2026 *60 Minutes* interview, Bravo publicly described the shootdown, the wait, and the moment PJs reached him on a ridgeline.