Who is Dude 44 Bravo? US Air Force officer shot down in Iran reveals harrowing story of survival behind enemy lines

A US Air Force officer who spent two days injured and alone behind enemy lines in Iran is telling his story for the first time.

The US Air Force officer known as Dude 44 Bravo shares his survival story after being shot down over Iran. (Unsplash/ representative image)The officer, known by his mission call sign Dude 44 Bravo, spoke to correspondent Norah O'Donnell for the season premiere of 60 Minutes, aired Sunday, September 13, at 7:30pm ET/PT on CBS and Paramount+.

Dude 44 Bravo is the mission call sign of a US Air Force colonel who served as the weapons systems officer on an F-15E Strike Eagle. The fighter jet was shot down about 100 miles inside southern Iran in April, during the war with Iran, as per Mediaite.

He was one of two crew members on the jet. The pilot was rescued within hours after ejecting, but Bravo went missing in the Iranian mountains for about 48 hours before he was found and rescued.

CBS News described the rescue effort as “one of the largest and most complex rescue operations in US military history.”

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As per CBS News, Bravo's mission on the night of April 2 took place near a mountainous area south of Isfahan. Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads US Central Command, said the mission was to strike industrial sites linked to Iran's drone and missile program.

"We had air superiority, but clearly we weren't flying over Kansas," Cooper said.

The F-15E was hit by an Iranian shoulder-fired missile. Bravo described the moment, saying, “That day was just another day in the war for us, until the moment where we got hit by an Iranian weapon.”

He also compared the impact to “getting hit by a freight train.” Once they realized the jet could not be saved, Bravo and his pilot, known as Alpha, ejected from the aircraft.

the missile had damaged Bravo's parachute, and he free-fell to the ground at an estimated 70-100 mph. He broke his back, an arm and a shoulder on impact. Bravo recalled the terrifying moment he realized his parachute had failed, saying, "At one point when I looked up and saw no parachute, that was the most terrifying thing I've ever seen. So I paused, right then, and I prayed, 'Lord, your will be done. But if I'm getting through this, I need help.'"

And despite injuries, Bravo moved away from his landing site right away. "I had injuries, but we all train to adapt and overcome the things that we're faced with," he said.

As per Mediaite, Bravo used his SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) training to survive while Iranian forces searched for him. He hid in a mountain crevice with little more than a pistol for protection. He also used his locator beacon as little as possible to avoid being detected. According to CBS News, Iranian forces reportedly came within a few hundred meters of him.

The CIA reportedly carried out a deception operation to make Tehran believe Bravo had already been rescued and taken out of Iran by road. The agency also used secret technology to help find his exact location.

US Special Operations forces later built a makeshift landing strip inside Iran for the rescue. However, two C-130 aircraft got stuck at the site, so three more aircraft had to be sent in.

The stuck aircraft and helicopters, worth around $100 million each, were later destroyed by the US to prevent their technology from falling into Iranian hands.

Bravo was finally rescued 50 hours after being shot down, on Easter Sunday morning. He later called the moment "one of the greatest moments of my life."

Bravo said his experience was about more than what he personally went through.

“It's 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.”

Khushi Arora is a Content Producer at Hindustan Times, where she writes for the US Desk, covering everything happening in the United States, while maintaining quality and delivering impactful stories across all beats. She previously worked at Zee News for over a year where she explored multiple beats including News Desk, Education and Lifestyle. With a background in English Literature, Khushi blends sharp research with thoughtful storytelling, shaping stories that go beyond headlines and bring clarity and credibility to every piece she writes. Beyond the newsroom, she enjoys reading, watching cinema and loves having long conversations about books, films and everything in between.Read More