Retired Air Force veteran details dangerous rescue mission after plane goes down in Iran

TAMPA, Fla. - On Friday, a fighter jet went down over the rugged terrain of southern Iran. 

The backstory:

While the two-person crew successfully ejected, only the pilot has been rescued so far. 

The second remains missing in a race against time, as U.S. forces attempt to locate them before Iranian troops do.

The recovery efforts have been met with intense enemy fire. 

FOX News is reporting two rescue helicopters sustained damage during the search, and several crew members were reportedly injured. 

Additionally, an A-10 Warthog involved in the broader mission was hit; its pilot was forced to eject over the Persian Gulf near Kuwait and has since been recovered.

Local perspective:

At MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is monitoring the high-risk situation around the clock.

Retired Air Force Colonel Jim Cardoso, now with the Global and National Security Institute at USF, notes that CENTCOM leadership is focused on real-time intelligence.

"I have no doubt that the commander and the staff are tracking this event, the ongoing rescue mission and any intelligence that comes from this event that can be applied to future missions," Cardoso said.

Dig deeper:

So what does the search look like for a military operation like this? 

There are three different elements to it, the ‘Sandy’, ‘King’, and ‘Jolly’, which are used as the standard terminology for personnel recovery.

• "Sandy": Provides close air support and keeps enemy troops from the crash site. The lead pilot acts as the on-scene commander.
• "King": You can think of them as the ’quarterback'. It coordinates with CENTCOM and provides aerial refueling for the helicopters.
• "Jolly": Acts as the recovery vehicle, which carries service members who are elite medics that will help rescued crew members.

Big picture view:

The loss of an aircraft inside Iranian borders represents a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict. 

This mission is no longer just a search-and-rescue. Every hour that passes increases the risk of the missing service member being captured, which would significantly shift the current conflict overseas.