I’d like to offer you an interview with Eric Lionheart, a decorated former U.S. Air Force Combat Controller and founder of the First There Foundation, to discuss the rescue of the downed American pilot in Iran.

As a Combat Controller, Eric planned and executed some of the most dangerous missions in the military, including combat search and rescue and personnel recovery in hostile territory.

He can give your audience a clear, accessible breakdown of:

• What that pilot was likely facing on the ground—physically, tactically, and mentally.
• How special operations, intel, and air assets work together to pull off a high‑risk rescue inside enemy territory.
• Why this kind of mission embodies the “we don’t leave anyone behind” ethos at the core of the special operations community.

Key angles Eric can cover for your audience:

• Tactical insight: What makes this rescue in Iran so complex and risky, explained in non‑classified, plain language.
• Human perspective: The mindset of the pilot, the rescuers, and their families during and after a mission like this.
• Why he does this work: How losing brothers‑in‑arms led him to build a community focused on mental health, connection, and preventing veteran suicide.
• Solutions and hope: Concrete steps that actually help veterans—beyond slogans—drawn from what he sees daily in his foundation’s work.

Eric is an articulate, media‑savvy guest who can speak candidly and succinctly, making him ideal for live TV, radio, or long‑form podcast conversations.

Equally important, Eric can speak to why he does what he does now

After years of combat deployments and losing teammates—not on the battlefield, but to suicide and the invisible wounds of war—Eric founded the First There Foundation to ensure no Combat Controller or special operator has to walk that road alone. His perspective connects the headlines about daring rescues to the quieter, ongoing battles many veterans fight when the cameras are gone.

If you’re booking voices around the Iran rescue story, national security, special operations, or veteran mental health, Eric would be a strong, timely guest who can move the conversation beyond surface‑level analysis and into what this really means for the people who serve.