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Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org<\/p>\n
The second crew member of the F-15E<\/a> shot down April 3 has been rescued from Iran. U.S. forces recovered the aviator alive and all American forces involved in the operation are believed to be safe, U.S. officials told Air & Space Forces Magazine.<\/p>\n The aviator is in U.S. hands after a dramatic nighttime rescue mission by American forces lasting into the early hours of April 5 local time, people familiar with the matter said.\t\t<\/p>\n U.S. MQ-9 Reaper<\/a> drones protected the crew member by striking Iranian military-aged males believed to be a threat who got within three kilometers of the Airman, a person familiar with the operation told Air & Space Forces Magazine.<\/p>\n \u201cWE GOT HIM!\u201d President Donald Trump later exclaimed in a lengthy social media post<\/a>. \u201cOver the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The President identified the missing Airman as a colonel \u201cwho was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n U.S. forces were monitoring his location continuously, according to Trump. \u201cHe sustained injuries, but he will be just fine,\u201d the president said. The U.S. sent dozens of aircraft to conduct the operation, Trump said.<\/p>\n