80 Stayed, 80 Left: A U.S. Squadron at Al Asad Before Iran's Missiles #iran #militaryhistory

In January 2020, hours before Iran's ballistic missiles hit Al Asad Air Base in Iraq, a U.S. Air Force squadron of 160 split: 80 flew out, 80 stayed. The squadron was Lt. Col. Staci Coleman's. Nothing on the base could shoot down a ballistic missile, and there were not enough of the best shelters, the Saddam-era bunkers. Coleman later recalled that she had been deciding who would live and who would die. She put her director of operations, Maj. Johnathan Jordan, with the group that left — if things went horribly wrong, he would have to come back and command the squadron. This short is told from the airmen's own accounts, collected and published by U.S. Air Forces Central Command, and from 60 Minutes and CNN. By the Pentagon's count, 11 Iranian ballistic missiles struck Al Asad. Not one of Coleman's 160 was killed; within five weeks the Pentagon said 109 service members had been diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injuries. The rest of that night — the evacuation window, the bunkers between volleys and the count of the injured that came after — is in the main film (about 12 minutes): [main film link — added after upload] Sources · Capt. Lauren Hill and Tech. Sgt. Anthony Hyatt (eds.) — “American Airmen's Accounts of Iranian Missile Attacks” (January 2020), U.S. Air Forces Central Command, released April 7, 2020 · David Martin — “Inside the attack that almost sent the U.S. to war with Iran,” CBS News 60 Minutes, February 28, 2021 · David Martin and Mary Walsh — “Who would live and who would die: The inside story of the Iranian attack on Al Asad Airbase,” CBS News 60 Minutes Overtime, February 28, 2021 · CNN — “Iran missile attack: US troops sheltered in Saddam-era bunkers,” January 13, 2020 · U.S. Department of Defense — press briefings by Secretary Esper and Gen. Milley, January 8 and January 30, 2020 (transcripts) · Diana Stancy — “109 US troops diagnosed with TBI after Iran missile barrage says Pentagon in latest update,” Military Times, February 10, 2020 · Headlines shown: Reuters, January 13, 2020 · Stars and Stripes, February 10, 2020 The 3D scenes are a directed reconstruction built from the records with carved models, not footage of the events. The narration is a synthetic voice. The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. #shorts #AlAsad #USAirForce #Iran #Iraq #MilitaryHistory #SANDTABUL SANDTABUL · Warfare, set out on the sand table. Battles, operations and the machines of war, re-staged in carved 3D and placed in the world that shaped them.