Former Air Force pilot outlines jet rescue challenges

April 4, 2026

Summary

A retired Air Force pilot said terrain, weather, and combat conditions can complicate efforts to recover downed jet crews.

Why this matters

The story explains how military search-and-rescue operations work after an aircraft goes down. It also highlights the risks that terrain, weather, and contested areas can pose during recovery efforts.

A retired U.S. Air Force pilot said there was relief after one crew member was rescued from a downed U.S. jet, but the search for the remaining crew member remained difficult.

Mark Hasara, a retired lieutenant colonel who flew KC-135 aircraft and served as chief operating officer for refueling operations in the Middle East from 2002 to 2003, said the military follows a clear standard when a service member goes down.

“We will not leave anyone behind,” Hasara said. “That is kind of the contract that we have across the military. It doesn’t matter what service you are from, we are going to come get you and bring you home.”

Hasara said once a crew was down, available forces shifted to the rescue mission.

“And as soon as this emergency beeper goes off, all of their systems lock onto it because of the frequency it’s on,” Hasara said.

After ejecting, crew members were trained to take immediate survival steps and avoid detection, he said.

“They know immediately to gather up their parachute, hide, and get in some type of hiding location that they can communicate with the forces above them that are trying to find them,” he said.

Hasara said rescue teams were trained for such operations.

“The rescue forces that are trying to find them are also extremely well trained,” he said.

He said the missions also involved challenges including terrain, weather, and hostile or contested conditions.

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Military & National Security

Former Air Force pilot outlines jet rescue challenges

He said operations could be complex and change quickly, but service members are prepared for such events.

Full story +

A retired U.S. Air Force pilot said there was relief after one crew member was rescued from a downed U.S. jet, but the search for the remaining crew member remained difficult.

Mark Hasara, a retired lieutenant colonel who flew KC-135 aircraft and served as chief operating officer for refueling operations in the Middle East from 2002 to 2003, said the military follows a clear standard when a service member goes down.

“We will not leave anyone behind,” Hasara said. “That is kind of the contract that we have across the military. It doesn’t matter what service you are from, we are going to come get you and bring you home.”

Hasara said once a crew was down, available forces shifted to the rescue mission.

“And as soon as this emergency beeper goes off, all of their systems lock onto it because of the frequency it’s on,” Hasara said.

After ejecting, crew members were trained to take immediate survival steps and avoid detection, he said.

“They know immediately to gather up their parachute, hide, and get in some type of hiding location that they can communicate with the forces above them that are trying to find them,” he said.

Hasara said rescue teams were trained for such operations.

“The rescue forces that are trying to find them are also extremely well trained,” he said.

He said the missions also involved challenges including terrain, weather, and hostile or contested conditions.
Military & National Security

A-10 probe test points to broader refueling option

Even if the Air Force expands low-altitude refueling by its jet tankers, those aircraft still would not be able to use the same shorter airstrips as C-130s.

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An A-10 Thunderbolt II test aircraft flew this week with a refueling probe mounted on its nose, replacing its standard aerial refueling receptacle. Within days, the aircraft connected with a C-130 equipped with refueling drogues, according to an image circulating on social media.

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That could be relevant to the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment concept, which calls for fighters to move among austere forward airfields. A probe-equipped fighter could launch from shorter or damaged runways with heavier loads, then refuel from MC-130s, HC-130s, Marine KC-130s, or modified C-130Js before continuing its mission.

Lower-altitude refueling could also reduce exposure to detection and air defenses, although operating lower would introduce added weather and handling risks.

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Europe

Russian strikes kill 4 in Ukraine; 1 dead in Rostov

Diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine, which began in February 2022, remained stalled.

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Russian air attacks in northeastern Ukraine over the past 24 hours killed at least four people and injured 11 others, according to Kharkiv regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov.

Syniehubov said Saturday that the attacks hit the city of Kharkiv and 11 other towns and villages.

In the neighboring Sumy region, at least 11 people, including a child, were injured after a Russian drone struck a building overnight.

“Attack drones struck a 16-storey building and a private residential area [in the region of Sumy]. Residents of the burning high-rise were promptly evacuated … The fire has been extinguished,” the State Emergency Service of Ukraine’s press office said in a statement.

The Ukrainian Air Force said air defenses “shot down or neutralised” 260 of 286 Russian drones launched overnight toward the north, south, east and center of the country. It said 11 drones struck 10 locations, and debris from downed drones was found at six sites.

In Russia, at least one person was killed and four others were injured in a drone and missile attack on the southern Rostov region, according to regional Gov. Yury Slyusar.

Slyusar said the overnight attack hit the port city of Taganrog. He said the injured people, three Russian citizens and one foreign national, were in critical condition.

A missile struck a commercial facility, causing a fire, Slyusar said. He said authorities evacuated people and brought the fire under control.

Separately, falling drone debris hit a foreign-flagged cargo vessel in the Sea of Azov, causing a fire, while air defenses destroyed drones over Taganrog Bay and other districts, Slyusar said. He did not specify the origin of the attacks.

The United States, Russia and Ukraine held three rounds of high-level trilateral talks this year in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and Geneva, Switzerland, aimed at negotiating an end to the war.

A fourth round scheduled for last month was postponed because of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, with no progress reported on territory in eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had proposed an Easter truce, which Russia’s Foreign Ministry rejected, calling it a “PR stunt.” Russia has continued to insist that Ukraine cede part of the Donbas region, a condition Zelenskyy has rejected.
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Tesla Texas factory workforce fell 22% in 2025

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The company reported 21,191 employees at the factory in 2024 and 16,506 in 2025.

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Tesla has been one of the largest employers in the Austin area since the factory opened in 2022. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk moved Tesla’s headquarters to the factory site in 2021, before it opened.

The company has invested more than $6.3 billion in the facility to date, according to the report.
Middle East

Iran executes 2 convicted PMOI members

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Iran executed two men convicted of belonging to the banned People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, also known as PMOI or MEK, after the Supreme Court upheld their sentences, state media said Saturday.

The judiciary website Mizan Online identified the men as Abolhassan Montazer and Vahid Baniamerian. It said they were hanged after being convicted of PMOI membership and “armed rebellion through involvement in multiple terrorist acts.”

PMOI initially supported Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, but later broke with the country’s leadership and was designated a terrorist organization. The group has since operated in exile.

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Earlier, on March 19, four people arrested in connection with the uprising, including Saleh Mohammadi, Mehdi Ghasemi, and Saeed Davoudi, were killed. Amnesty said five other young protesters who were previously sentenced to death could also face execution after being moved from Ghezel Hesar prison to an unknown location this week.
World

Iran, Iraq, Lebanon report deaths, damage in strikes

Officials and media reported deaths, injuries, infrastructure damage, and shipping disruptions across Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and the Gulf.

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Iranian, Iraqi, Lebanese, Turkish, and U.S. media and officials reported a series of developments Saturday linked to the war involving the United States, Israel, Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon.

Iranian media said a strike hit the commercial terminal at the Shalamcheh border crossing in Khorramshahr, near the Iran-Iraq border. Mehr, citing Khuzestan Deputy Gov. Valiollah Hayati, said the site was targeted in an air attack. ISNA quoted Hayati as saying an Iraqi driver was killed and two Iranian workers were wounded.

State media also reported that a projectile struck near the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran, killing one guard. IRNA said there was no damage to the plant.

In Mahshahr, in southwestern Iran, strikes hit the Special Petrochemical Zone, according to Fars and Tasnim, which cited Hayati. The reports said three companies were hit and five people were wounded. Tasnim said the extent of the damage was not yet known.

Iranian media separately reported that oil exports from Kharg Island had increased despite the war. ISNA quoted Moussa Ahmadi, head of the Iranian parliament’s energy commission, as saying, “Following the visits carried out and meetings held on Kharg island, I must say that in recent days not only have oil exports not decreased, but they have increased.” Kharg Island is a main Iranian oil export terminal.

In Iraq, the Popular Mobilization Forces, also known as Hashed al-Shaabi, said an attack killed one fighter and wounded four others, along with a Defense Ministry member. The group blamed the United States and Israel.

In Lebanon, the Health Ministry said Israeli airstrikes on buildings near a hospital in Tyre wounded 11 people and damaged the Lebanese Italian Hospital. The hospital’s director told the state-run National News Agency that it would remain open.

Turkey’s transport minister, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, said a second Turkish-owned ship had passed through the Strait of Hormuz. He said 15 ships belonging to Turkish shipowners had been waiting to cross when the war began on Feb. 28.

Iranian and U.S. forces were also searching for a missing crew member from a crashed U.S. F-15 inside Iran, according to Iranian statements and U.S. media reports. Tehran said it shot down the aircraft, while U.S. media reported one of the two crew members had been rescued.
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The order directed the Department of Homeland Security to create a list of eligible voters and provide it to states at least 60 days before an election. It also directed the U.S. Postal Service to accept mail-in ballots only from voters on that list.

Jackson said the order violated the U.S. Constitution by interfering with states’ authority to administer elections, as well as federal and state laws.

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Jackson joined attorneys general from more than 20 states and Pennsylvania’s governor in the lawsuit.
North Carolina

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Swansboro police launched a traffic unit to focus on enforcement and crash investigations, adding to regular patrols as the town responds to multiple crashes each month.

Police and fire officials in Swansboro responded to multiple crashes each month, according to the article. Officers in the new unit will target stop sign, red light, and speeding violations, with a focus on high-traffic areas, including school zones.

Officials said a recent traffic study found nearly half a million vehicles passed through Swansboro in 28 days. As the area grows, state data showed Onslow County’s population increased by more than 4% between 2021 and 2024.
North Carolina

Jacksonville man charged in fatal Maynard Boulevard stabbing

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A Jacksonville man was charged with murder after a fatal stabbing Friday afternoon at a home on Maynard Boulevard, according to the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded about 12:18 p.m. Friday, April 4, to a 911 call reporting a stabbing at the residence. The sheriff’s office said the suspect was detained at the scene.

Barry Keith Cooper, 47, of Jacksonville, was identified as the victim. He was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and later died, the sheriff’s office said.

Shakin Zion Bullock, 19, of Jacksonville, was charged with an open count of murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, according to the sheriff’s office. He was being held without bond.

Bullock was scheduled to make his first court appearance Monday, April 6.

The sheriff’s office asked anyone with information to contact investigators. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers, which is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest.