Mike Force Podcast
Episode: Daring Rescue behind Enemy Lines
Host: Mike Glover
Date: April 6, 2026
Episode Overview
In this compelling episode, Mike Glover—veteran, former Green Beret, and ex-Delta Force operator—breaks down one of the most daring and complex combat search and rescue (CSAR) operations in recent military history. Amidst a rapidly escalating war with Iran, two American pilots (an F-15E crew) were shot down nearly 200 miles behind enemy lines, precipitating a massive rescue effort that involved multiple special operations and Air Force assets. Glover draws not only on open-source updates but on his own extensive experience, offering commentary, operational breakdowns, and personal reflections on the ethos of “leaving no one behind.”
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Context: The Iran War’s Escalation
- Backdrop of the Incident:
- War with Iran is intensifying, with failed peace negotiations and increasing attacks and counterattacks from both sides.
- “[Iran] is still conducting attacks on infrastructure in the region, including hitting a AWS, this Amazon server building in the UAE as well as hitting the Oracle office building in Dubai overnight.” (03:27)
- President Trump’s ultimatum to Iran regarding the Strait of Hormuz is highlighted, raising the stakes further.
2. The Downing of F-15E and Search & Rescue Initial Response (06:02–10:30)
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Incident Details:
- April 3: F-15E Strike Eagle (494th Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath) is shot down deep in Iranian territory.
- Two crew members, a pilot and a weapons systems officer (WSO), eject and activate their survival radios.
- The pilot is recovered within hours after a dangerous helicopter extraction under fire; some rescuers are injured.
- The WSO lands hundreds of miles away in mountainous terrain, with his beacon briefly detected, then lost.
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Quote:
“The pilot was recovered within hours … but they took incoming small arms fire and had a limp back to base. They got behind a safe corridor, landed successfully. But some of the people on board were injured from the small arms fire.”
— Mike Glover [07:52]
3. The Hunter Becomes the Hunted: Evasion and ISR
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WSO's Situation:
- Begins escape and evasion, using high-stress SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) training.
- Climbs up to 7,000 feet to evade Iranian ground teams; beacons can be unreliable due to terrain and intentional evasion tactics.
- U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones and other ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) assets maintain a “3km box” to keep hostile forces at bay.
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Quote:
“When you're containing the search and rescue of a specific person, you have to create a corridor or bubble around that person so elements can get to them without having to worry from anti aircraft fire, ground fire, or air assets that are going to take them out of the sky.”
— Mike Glover [11:55]
4. Expanding the Conflict: Additional Aircraft Losses & Rescue Operations (13:00–16:30)
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A-10 Shootdown:
- An A-10 Warthog is also downed during the ongoing rescue efforts; A-10s lauded for their unique capabilities in close air support and forward air control.
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Daring Extraction Under Fire:
- C-130 aircraft conduct hazardous mid-air refueling for helicopters, all under threat from anti-aircraft weapons.
- Blackhawk helicopters ferry in rescue forces, take direct fire, but extract pilots successfully.
- CIA and Special Operations use deception operations—false reports of recovery—to confuse Iranian efforts.
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Quote:
“That C130 flying low and slow resupplying the helicopters. Super dangerous mission set by the way. I mean they're within range of missiles for sure... those Black Hawk helicopters take fire during the rescue operation, but the aircraft returns safely with some injuries on board.”
— Mike Glover [15:20]
5. Ground Truth: Operators on the Ground and Aircraft Loss
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Special Operations Insertion:
- Delta and DEVGRU (“hundreds of operators”) are mobilized and inserted for the rescue.
- MC-130s land at remote, makeshift airstrips in Iran. Some aircraft become disabled on the ground.
- To prevent sensitive technology falling into enemy hands, U.S. operators self-destruct equipment (known as “bipping”).
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Quote:
“They bipped everything in place, blew in place everything to prevent it getting into enemy hands. They cross loaded into other aircraft and safely exfilled.”
— Mike Glover [16:40]
6. Outcome and Reflection (18:22 onwards)
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Results:
- All downed aircrew—F-15E pilot, F-15E WSO, and an A-10 pilot—are rescued alive. No personnel captured or killed.
- Glover reflects on the American ethos, citing the Ranger Creed: “we’re not going to leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy ever.”
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Quote:
“The fact that that happened is an amazing testament to the capability of U.S. Special Operations Command and what we do for those that are left behind....Who cares about a multi million dollar platform when we're rescuing a person who got shot down behind enemy lines? That's something you learn in SERE school: that we're not going to leave anybody behind.”
— Mike Glover [19:13]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On SERE Training:
“All pilots are required to go through this training because they have to escape, evade, and then potentially go through a scenario where they're held captive. Now this guy starts to climb and allegedly gets to 7,000 feet in the climb.”
— Mike Glover [10:12] -
On Asset Expenditure for Rescue:
"I saw the memes like why would we waste so many assets and resources for one person? ...Who cares about a multi million dollar platform when we're rescuing a person who put themselves on the line and got shot down behind enemy lines?"
— Mike Glover [19:13]
Key Timestamps
- 02:15 — Mike Glover’s initial update and framing of the ongoing Iran crisis.
- 06:02 — Breakdown of the F-15E shootdown and early rescue effort.
- 11:10 — Discussion of SERE training’s real-world application, beacon tactics.
- 13:00 — A-10 shootdown and air/ground coordination challenges.
- 15:20 — C-130 aerial refueling, helicopter rescue details.
- 16:40 — Details on operators’ actions on the ground, aircraft destruction to deny enemy exploitation.
- 18:22–19:30 — Recap and emotional reflection on the meaning and value of the rescue effort.
Final Thoughts
Mike Glover uses this episode to illuminate the tactical and emotional stakes of high-risk rescues behind enemy lines, emphasizing both operational excellence and the deeper warrior ethos. The episode connects the breaking news of contemporary conflict with personal and professional ethics, offering a feel for the complexity and danger of modern warfare—and the lengths to which U.S. forces will go to recover their own.