An Alaska Air National Guard official said two Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson rescue squadrons supported the rescue of two Saudi F-15 pilots from the Gulf of Aden on Friday.
The U.S. Navy coordinated a search for two Saudi Arabian air force pilots who were forced to eject from their jet after it suffered a mechanical failure and crashed, according to CNN.
A rescue helicopter flew from Djibouti to retrieve the men, who reportedly were not seriously injured.
Airmen from the Alaska Air National Guard's 210th and 211th rescue squadrons are currently deployed at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa, supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, the name used by the U.S. government to describe its war on terror.
Alaska Air National Guard Lt. Col. Candis Olmstead said she could not be specific about the squadrons' involvement in the rescue, citing a strong security threat.
"Our support was essential to the recovery," Olmstead said.
Three 210th HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters and two 211th HC-130 "King" aircraft are also assigned to the camp, considered a major regional military base. The helicopters are used to conduct day and night personnel recovery operations "in hostile environments."
The squadrons' deployments began two and three months ago, Olmstead said.