Amazing Faith: Rescued F-15E Crew Member Said “God Is Good” After Ejecting From Plane In Iran

This is a wonderful testimony.

New details have emerged regarding the rescued crew member whose U.S. F-15E fighter jet was shot down in Iran.

According to military officials, the first words the crew member said after ejecting from his fighter jet after getting hit by Iran were “God is good.”

Axios broke the news of the crew members’ remarks and gave more details on the rescue efforts:

President Trump told Axios the U.S. initially worried that a message from the stranded crew member of an F-15 downed by Iran was a trick by the Iranians to lure U.S. forces into a trap.

The crew member survived more than 24 hours in the mountains despite being wounded, before being rescued in a special forces operation on Saturday.

Around 200 soldiers from special operations units participated in the operation, Trump said.

Trump said the Iranian military shot down the F-15 using a shoulder-fired missile. “They got lucky.”

Speaking to Axios hours after confirming the rescue, Trump said that “thousands of these savages were hunting him down,” using that loaded term to refer to members of the Iranian military. “Even the population was looking for him. They offered people a bonus if they captured him.”
Driving the news: The officer hid in a crevice in the mountain, Trump said, and the U.S. managed to spot him with its technology.

Trump said that the U.S. military had “beeping information” about the officer’s location. But after a radio message, officials suspected he might be in Iranian captivity and the Iranians were “sending false signals” to try to lure U.S. forces into a trap.

Behind the scenes: Trump said the weapons system officer gave a short, unusual message over his radio after ejecting from the aircraft. “He said: ‘Power be to God.'”

A U.S. defense official confirmed Trump’s account but said the exact phrase was “God is good.”

NEW: The rescued F-15 crew member said “God is Good” over his radio after ejecting from the aircraft over Iran, according to Axios.

Here are remarkable new details about the rescue, according to Axios:

– The rescued crew member is religious.

– The crew member survived more… pic.twitter.com/JPge3zoAo9

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 5, 2026

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth posted  the phrase “God is good” in an X post on Easter, too:

God is good.

— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) April 5, 2026

A former fighter pilot shared with Fox News that the crew member probably used the following survival tactics:

U.S. forces rescued a missing U.S. weapons system officer from a downed F-15E in Iran following a multiday search inside enemy territory as Iranian forces simultaneously searched the area.

The pilot, who also ejected from the jet in Khuzestan Province, was rescued Friday morning.

President Donald Trump touted the recovery mission as an “Easter miracle.”

Rooney said pilots undergo extensive survival and evasion training to prepare for worst-case scenarios, including being shot down behind enemy lines.

“We are very prepared to escape and evade and set ourselves up in a position to get rescued,” he said.

In such situations, Rooney explained, downed airmen are trained to move quickly after ejection, avoid populated areas and remain as concealed as possible while awaiting recovery forces.

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They are also trained to reach areas where rescue could be more easily achieved.

“Be small, be stealthy, get high, so you can be rescued,” Rooney said, describing the basic survival principles.

How does that sound?