Commandos-22 SAS Regiment, Delta.

1953, CIA and MI6 helped Iranian royalists depose Mosaddegh in a military coup d'etat codenamed Operation Ajax, allowing the Shah to extend his power for next twenty years. US Government continued to support the Shah with CIA training the Iranian Secret Police. Because of numerous reasons within Iran, the Shah was eventually overthrown. President Carter on New Years eve 1977 toasted the Shah, while in Tehran which further pissed off the anti-Shah Iranians. In 1979, the Ayatollah Khomeini after being in exile was put in charge of Iran. The American Embassy in Tehran was overrun and American Hostages were taken. Longer story short, Carter authorized our military to develop plan for hostage rescue.

Understating the complexity of going in to a foreign capital and recovering our citizens with least amount of collateral damage, in 1980 a plan was set in motion.

For those who do not know, this was before JSOC who today runs our special forces. This was also before the 160th SOAR.

Using different elements of our military a plan was established for minimum 8 helicopters and C-130 aircraft to fly to the Iranian desert 200 miles SE of Tehran, and link up (Desert One). All this is public information and if interested I recommend checking it out!

The mission was a failure. Too many variables; one example are pilots whom never have flown in sandstorms. This caused a domino of events and errors which lead to 5 airmen and 3 Marines killed along with C-130 and helicopters lost and probably still there. This was not a Delta failure. It was an education for our military that a Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) was required.

160th SOAR, the Night-stalkers whom are the best pilots in the world was formed to be a unit to go ANYWHERE when called for our Special Operations.