URGENT REAMRKS: Gen. Dan Caine Speaks Alongside Trump & Hegseth at White House Briefing

[0:00] or four, which was down in hostile Iranian territory. [0:04] The pilot and weapons system officer had both safely ejected [0:08] and were isolated behind enemy lines. [0:10] Following confirmation of active rescue beacons [0:13] and on the direction of the Secretary [0:15] and by order of the President, [0:17] a rescue operation was launched with the stated purpose [0:20] of bringing both Americans home safely. [0:24] As the Secretary said several hours later on the morning [0:27] after positively locating the front-seater, [0:30] call sign Dude 4-4-Alpha, [0:33] and aware of an aggressive ongoing search by the enemy, [0:37] a U.S. Central Command plan was approved [0:40] by the Secretary and the President. [0:42] Shortly thereafter, a U.S. Air Force Combat Search [0:45] and Rescue Task Force comprised of A-10 Warthogs [0:50] in their Sandy role, [0:51] and I'll describe what that is in a minute, [0:53] HC-130 Combat King IIs, HH-60 Jolly Green II Helicopters, [0:59] and Air Force [1:00] Special Warfare Airmen, [1:02] a package comprised of combat rescue officers [1:05] and pararescue operators, [1:07] audaciously penetrated enemy territory in broad daylight [1:12] to find, fix, and recover Dude 4-4-Alpha [1:16] from behind enemy lines. [1:19] This was an incredibly dangerous mission, [1:23] an incredibly dangerous undertaking, [1:27] but a filled promise made to every American warfighter [1:31] that you will not be left behind. [1:34] We will always come find you, [1:36] and we will always bring you home. [1:39] Over the next hours, the Search and Rescue Task Force [1:42] crossed the beach, entered into Iranian airspace, [1:46] protected by a fighter strike package, [1:48] and moved into the objective area, all under fire. [1:52] En route, as some of you have seen on social media, [1:56] the helicopters took gas off the C-130s [1:59] and pressed onward and forward up into the objective area. [2:02] While this was ongoing and out in front of them, [2:06] the Sandy flight of A-10s [2:08] and other remotely piloted aircraft, drones, [2:11] and other tactical aircraft were violently suppressing [2:14] and engaging the enemy in a close-in gunfight [2:17] to keep them away from the front-seater [2:20] and allow the pickup force to get into the objective area. [2:25] During this engagement, one of the Sandy aircraft, [2:28] the one primarily responsible for communicating [2:30] with the downed pilot, [2:32] was hit by enemy fire. [2:35] This pilot continued to fight, continued the mission, [2:39] and then, upon exit, flew his aircraft into another country [2:43] and determined that the airplane was not landable. [2:46] This was one of our A-10 Sandy aircraft. [2:49] The pilot then made the decision to eject [2:52] over friendly territory and was quickly and safely recovered [2:56] and is doing fine. [2:58] After picking up Dude 4-4 Alpha, the HH-60 Jolly Greenfighter, [3:04] was engaged by every single person in Iran [3:08] who had a small arms weapon. [3:10] And one of the aircraft, the trailing aircraft, [3:13] took several hits. [3:14] The crew sustained minor injury and they are going to be fine. [3:18] A note for those of you that do not know what a Sandy does. [3:23] Named after the flight call sign that did this very mission [3:27] in Vietnam flying A-1 Sky Raiders and A-7 Corsairs, [3:32] a Sandy has one mission. [3:35] Get to the survivor, bring the rescue force forward, [3:39] and put themselves between that survivor [3:42] on the ground and the enemy. [3:45] They are committed to this. [3:47] This is what they live for, and this is what they've trained [3:50] for over many, many years. [3:53] The A-10 force and the rescue force did fantastic, [3:58] did a fantastic job rescuing Dude 4-4 Alpha. [4:03] He was recovered Friday afternoon. [4:05] As I said, and I'll say it again, [4:07] the nation needs to know this. [4:09] This was an incredibly brave and courageous mission [4:13] and a testament to the courage, skill, [4:16] and tenacity of the joint force and our leaders. [4:20] And especially a daylight option, [4:23] having the guts to try means so much to so many. [4:27] Meanwhile, the backseater, as the President [4:30] and the Secretary have said, [4:32] had continued to work and survive. [4:35] Through the hours of daylight, Dude 4-4 Bravo, [4:38] the backseater, evaded. [4:41] Using every means available, the efforts of the United States [4:44] military, the Central Intelligence Agency, [4:47] and others were attempting to find and locate with precision [4:51] Dude 4-4 Bravo, the backseater. [4:54] A note on the backseater and the frontseater. [4:59] The single most important contributor [5:03] to a successful rescue operation is the spirit of attack [5:07] inside the heart of that demonstration. [5:09] In this case, the backseater's absolute commitment [5:22] to surviving made much of our efforts possible. [5:25] On Saturday, 4 April, after establishing positive [5:28] communications with the backseater, [5:31] we learned, as the President said, [5:33] that he was injured and actively evading enemy forces. [5:37] And thanks to our interagency partners, [5:39] we were able to get to the backseater's home. [5:40] to get eyes on his location and positively ID him. [5:44] Throughout this entire time, [5:45] the enemy force continued to search for 4-4 Bravo, [5:49] and the joint force continued to strike them [5:51] over and over and over again. [5:55] Fighting off marginal weather in Iran [5:57] and the enemy's search, for a second time on Saturday, [6:01] at the recommendation of the CENTCOM commander [6:03] and at the approval of the Secretary and the President, [6:06] we launched a rescue task force to recover dude 4-4 Bravo. [6:11] Again, this came to the President [6:13] and the Secretary for approval, [6:15] this time with a much larger force package, [6:18] based on the time that the enemy had to prepare [6:20] to find 4-4 Bravo. [6:23] Again, this force was protected by A-10 warthogs [6:27] using the Sandy Call sign. [6:29] And this force had one single mission, [6:32] do everything they can to bring an American home. [6:36] This meant having [6:37] a plan, being prepared to execute that plan, [6:41] and more importantly, being prepared [6:44] for multiple simultaneous contingencies. [6:48] And because of this force's professionalism, grit, [6:52] and determination, fight off two enemies at the same time, [6:56] the enemy searching for 4-4 Bravo and contingencies, [7:01] which anyone who has done these types of missions knows, [7:04] we run into every single time. [7:07] The force fought off both of those enemies incredibly well. [7:12] During the period of darkness on Saturday [7:14] and as the Secretary said, into Easter Sunday [7:17] and into the daylight, the force fought its way in [7:21] and rescued dude 4-4 Bravo. [7:25] They were protected overhead by an air armada [7:28] including tactical drones, strike aircraft, and others. [7:33] The force fought through multiple simultaneous contingencies, [7:37] something no other nation, no other military can do, [7:43] and safely returned Dude 44 Bravo, the backseater home, [7:47] and all other Americans home as well. [7:51] At midnight 12 local Eastern time, Easter Sunday, [7:56] more than 50 hours after the start of this operation, [8:02] the Joint Personnel Recovery Center declared Dude 44 Bravo [8:06] both the front and backseater return to friendly territory. [8:11] The courage demonstrated by both the pilot [8:14] and the weapons system officer while isolated [8:18] and them invading the enemy cannot be overstated. [8:21] Their grit and warfighting tenacity is a direct result [8:25] of the absolute trust they have in our rescue forces, [8:29] their training, and their will to survive and return. [8:33] They always knew that we would be ordered to go get them, [8:37] and they always did. [8:37] They always knew that we would be coming to get them. [8:41] These two operations reflect our nation's most sacred obligation [8:45] to our military service members. [8:47] We leave no one behind. [8:49] Bless you. [8:50] It also perfectly captures the first truth [8:54] of our special operations forces, [8:56] that people are more important than hardware. [9:00] That is the standard we live by, and the rescue forces [9:04] that execute these missions operate under a clear, [9:07] clear motto. [9:09] These things we do that others may live. [9:13] Their actions were a direct embodiment of that commitment [9:17] to others, and I could not be more proud of each [9:22] and every one of them today. [9:25] As the Secretary said to our enemies, [9:27] this operation serves as a clear reminder of the capability [9:32] and will of America's joint force. [9:34] The United States of America will recover our warfighters [9:38] anywhere in the world, under any circumstances, [9:39] under any conditions, when we want to. [9:42] We will always bring overwhelming skill [9:44] and firepower. [9:46] To every member of the joint force, [9:48] our interagency partners, the leadership at CENTCOM, [9:51] and our leaders at the department and above, [9:53] thank you. [9:54] I'm proud of each and every one of you, [9:57] and thankful to our deployed forces and their families. [10:01] And lastly, and most importantly, [10:04] to Dude 4-4, welcome home. [10:07] Job well done. [10:08] Thank you. [10:14] Pretty amazing. [10:15] Pretty amazing. [10:17] And these two gentlemen have been, from day one, [10:21] they've been perfecto. [10:23] You know, I got to know General Kane in my first term [10:28] because he was able to take out ISIS in four weeks [10:30] instead of the four-year projection that was given to me [10:34] by other much lesser generals. [10:36] I said, you know, if I ever do this again, [10:38] that's going to be the head of my Joint Chiefs of Staff. [10:41] And we worked it that way, didn't we? [10:43] And it's amazing. [10:44] He took out ISIS. [10:45] We defeated ISIS in four weeks. [10:48] I was told it would take four years. [10:49] I flew to Iraq to find out, with the greatest equipment [10:53] in the world, why would it take four years. [10:57] And he told me, sir, it won't. [11:00] It'll take four weeks, and you'll have time left over. [11:02] And that's exactly what happened. [11:04] So he's great. [11:05] And Pete, all I can say is that he was treated very unfairly. [11:11] And now those same people that treated him unfairly, [11:13] that fought against him, they called me up and said, [11:15] what a great choice he was. [11:18] I said, well, what happened during? [11:20] This nomination, what happened to you? [11:22] I'm telling you, people that were not forum senators, [11:25] friends of mine, sir, I don't think you're doing the right thing. [11:28] Now they're calling me up, what a choice. [11:31] These two guys are fantastic. [11:33] And John Ratcliffe was incredible. [11:35] It was actually their genius that called us from, [11:40] he was 40 miles away. [11:42] And he said, you know, we're seeing something [11:44] moving up in the mountain. [11:46] This is at night. [11:48] And they kept the camera on him for 45 minutes. [11:50] He wasn't moving. [11:51] And they said, you know, [11:52] probably wrong, but we're seeing something moving. [11:55] This is a vast mountain, vast, thick, with bushes, trees. [12:02] He said, we see something moving 40 miles away. [12:05] It was the head of a human being. [12:09] I'm telling you, it's moving. [12:12] And then all of a sudden, 45 minutes later, he moved a lot. [12:14] He stood up, and they said, we have him. [12:19] And that was really the beginning of something incredible. [12:23] We had an idea where he was, but not specifically. [12:26] That's a big mountain. [12:27] So I want to thank the CIA, too. [12:31] I don't think they get enough credit for the great job they've done. [12:35] Yes, please. [12:37] The Press Thank you very much, Mr. President, [12:38] for this great opportunity. [12:42] Country, it has super army. [12:45] You make a difference, Mr. President. [12:47] Thank you for your greatest leadership. [12:49] I have two quick questions, Mr. President. [12:53] What was your reaction when you learned that Kurdistan region had resumed exporting oil to the [12:58] Kurdistan region had resumed exporting oil to the [12:58] Kurdistan region had resumed exporting oil to the [13:00] international market with your support as United States of America? [13:06] The President Well, I expected that. [13:07] We've gotten along with the Kurds for a long time, so I expected that. [13:12] The Press Another question. [13:13] What would be your reaction if the Iranian people rise up against their regime during a case fire, [13:23] Mr. President? [13:24] The President Well, they should do it. [13:25] But again, the consequences are great. [13:27] I mean, they were told, if you protest, you will be shot [13:31] immediately. [13:31] You saw what happened to the young wrestler. [13:34] He was a great champion, by the way. [13:35] He was a great wrestler, one of the top in the world. [13:38] And he and his two friends were hung, and all they did was say a little bit about liberty. [13:45] They wanted liberty, and they were violently executed. [13:49] But the number is up to probably 45,000 people were killed. [13:53] So, you know, when somebody stays in a house, when they know if they walk out of the house to protest, [13:58] they'll be immediately shot and killed. [14:01] And they issued that. [14:02] You know, that was public. [14:03] It was publicly issued. [14:03] It's not a secret. [14:05] That's why so many people say, oh, well, why are you doing this way? [14:08] We can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon. [14:12] You know, we got regime change. [14:14] We do. [14:15] We're dealing with a much different regime than before. [14:17] We're dealing with different people. [14:19] They're smarter. [14:21] I think they're sharper and far less radical. [14:26] We have regime change. [14:27] But we didn't do this for the regime change. [14:29] We did it for the fact. [14:31] And my view was very simple. [14:34] I saw somebody who said, oh. [14:34] He doesn't have a plan. [14:36] I have the best plan of all. [14:37] But I'm not going to tell you what my plan is. [14:39] You know, they want me to say.