LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Let's now turn to the rescue of an American airman after the fighter jet he was flying in was shot down over Iran. The plane's pilot was rescued several hours after the incident, but it took more than a day to locate and rescue the weapons systems officer over the weekend. To talk about this, I'm joined by Matthew "Whiz" Buckley. He's a retired Navy fighter pilot who has flown dozens of combat missions. Good morning, and welcome to the program.
MATTHEW BUCKLEY: Good morning, Leila. Thank you for having me.
FADEL: So what is involved for a rescue mission like the one U.S. forces launched to find this missing crew member?
BUCKLEY: It's an incredibly complex operation, but one that the CSAR, the combat search and rescue forces, practice for years. This is their Super Bowl. They eat, breathe and sleep operations like this. So the instant this aircrew ejected, it set into motion a very complex set of operations. We're talking from the CIA to combat search and rescue forces, to pilot rescue men (ph) and also SEALs, the DEVGRU, the same team that took out Bin Laden, was involved in this. So it looks incredibly complex from the outside.
FADEL: Yeah.
BUCKLEY: But inside, these young men and women were doing exactly what they were trained to do - go behind enemy lines, fight their way in, rescue downed airmen and bring them home.
FADEL: What were some of the critical elements that might have contributed to the success of this mission that needed to be completed in such a short period of time, given that he was hiding inside Iran?
BUCKLEY: Exactly. Well, a ton of them. I mean, the CIA got involved and did a deception campaign. We actually had assets going to a certain portion that made it look like a dummy rescue. So some Iranian forces started heading in that direction. We flew in a - C-130s. They built a makeshift airfield inside enemy territory. That's not a small feat. So - and then after that, using Little Birds, smaller helicopters to go up to the ridge and capture this back - or rescue this backseater. So a lot of stuff. And they contingency planned, right? It appears a couple of C-130s - their wheels got stuck and they couldn't take off, so they flew in three other smaller prop aircraft. So there was a contingency plan for the contingency plan, and all of it worked.
FADEL: Now, this had to be done in a short amount of time. An operation like this is very sensitive 'cause, I mean, the Iranians were also looking...
BUCKLEY: Correct.
FADEL: ...For the airman. What might have happened had the Iranians captured him?
BUCKLEY: Oh, this would have been bad. I entered - I started flying fighters back during Operation Desert Storm, and I remember we lost a lot of aircraft, between 20, 30 fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. And I remember POWs on TV. I remember young United States airmen, black and blue, being paraded by the Iraqis. So they would have used that as a huge win on the Iranian side. But we really have to keep things in perspective. We've flown over 13,000 combat sorties in about 30 days. You know, I'm a political science major from South Jersey. That's a 99.98 mission success rate. But they only have to get lucky once - right? - for it to look like a win to them. We got to be near 100% flawless on our missions.
FADEL: Now, you've flown many combat missions as a Navy fighter pilot. How are crew members trained to survive after their plane is shot down?
BUCKLEY: We go through what's called SERE, survival, evasion, resistance and escape training. We're taught how to live off the land. We're taught how to bend but not break as we're being interrogated. But, Leila, I got to be honest with you, all the training in the world isn't going to prepare an aviator for when they - because when you eject, when you reach down between your legs and pull that black and yellow ejection handle, the choice is either that or die - or death. So it's an incredibly violent experience. I did an ejection simulator, and I think they said it was, like, one one-tenth of the force.
FADEL: Oh, wow.
BUCKLEY: And my back was hurting for a week.
FADEL: Oh, wow.
BUCKLEY: So while we do have a lot of training, nothing can truly prepare you for pulling those handles and parachuting into enemy lines.
FADEL: Now, you've flown, as you mentioned, combat missions in the Middle East. Are you concerned that more American forces could get killed or wounded as this conflict continues with no clear end in sight?
BUCKLEY: Well, Leila, you never underestimate your enemy. This ain't over until it's over. So I'm always concerned. My oldest son is on active duty in the United States Air Force - on deployment. So I not only had skin in the game in the past, my own, but, you know, my oldest son. So absolutely concerned. But we are trained. This is - we're doing the job we are trained to do, and we do it well.
FADEL: Matthew "Whiz" Buckley. He's a retired Navy fighter pilot and founder of the No Fallen Heroes Foundation, which helps veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder. Thank you so much for speaking with us and sharing your expertise.
BUCKLEY: Thank you, Leila. Have a great day. Thanks. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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