6 takeaways from our interview with the officer shot down in Iran
In his first interview, Bravo, an Air Force colonel who was shot down in Iran, told 60 Minutes his story of survival and provided new details about the rescue operation.
In the aftermath of the April incident, where a U.S. fighter jet was shot down over Iran, two aviators, Alpha and Bravo, were left behind enemy lines. Bravo, the weapons systems officer, recounted his survival story and the rescue operation to 60 Minutes correspondent Norah O'Donnell in his first interview. Alpha had saved their lives by ejecting quickly after the missile hit, causing catastrophic damage to the aircraft.
Bravo praised his crewmate's quick reaction and credited the professionalism of the airmen who maintained the plane, even with the missile damage. Despite his damaged parachute and injuries, Bravo managed to climb a 7,000-foot ridgeline and evade Iranian forces for 48 hours before being rescued by U.S. forces. The military then bombed their own aircraft to prevent it from falling into Iranian hands.
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