TAMPA, Fla. — After nearly six weeks on the ground in the Middle East, volunteers with Grey Bull Rescue are back home in Tampa following a high-risk evacuation mission that helped bring hundreds of Americans to safety.
The Tampa-based organization specializes in complex and dangerous rescue operations around the world. Overnight, members of the all-volunteer team touched down in Tampa after completing their most recent mission, which involved evacuating Americans from active conflict zones in the Middle East.
According to the organization, Grey Bull Rescue assisted in rescuing roughly 400 Americans over the past several weeks. The latest flight marked the final leg of this mission.
Grey Bull Rescue founder Bryan Stern said the operation was a challenging one because of the ongoing violence and logistical hurdles.
“We rescue all kinds. I think our youngest was uh weeks old or months old and our oldest in their late 80’s or 90’s, so pretty wide if your passport looks like our passport, we care,” said Stern.
Stern explained that evacuations from Israel and the surrounding areas are especially dangerous and complicated right now.
“It's very dangerous. 170 people got hurt pretty bad just 2 days ago, some of the drones are small and some of the missiles are the size of school buses… The airspace is contested, meaning there are things flying through the airspace, which is why carriers won’t fly there,” said Stern.
Despite the risks, Stern emphasized that every member of Grey Bull Rescue is a volunteer. No one on the team is paid and the organization does not charge the people it rescues. All missions are funded entirely through donations.
“If the money is there, we will be back on the street tomorrow. It is purely financial,” said Stern.
In four years, Grey Bull Rescue has carried out more than 800 missions worldwide, helping people escape war zones, political unrest, and humanitarian crises. Stern said continued public support is essential to ensure they can respond quickly to help those in need.
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