As missiles and drones strike across the Middle East and airspace closes across multiple countries, a small veteran-led nonprofit has quietly evacuated dozens of Americans caught in the region’s growing conflict.
The Rescue
Grey Bull Rescue, founded by Army veteran Bryan Stern, confirmed that its team rescued 66 Americans from Israel in a recent operation, moving them across borders and preparing them for flights to safety.
The evacuation highlights the increasingly important role of private rescue groups that operate where traditional evacuation channels may be limited or overwhelmed.
“We rescued just under 70 people,” Stern said. “About half were a church missionary group from the Tampa area, and the rest were college students studying abroad in Israel.”
The operation came amid rapidly escalating tensions across the region following the death of Iran’s supreme leader and subsequent military activity, which has led to widespread airspace closures.
Normally, evacuations from conflict zones rely heavily on aviation access. But Stern said this crisis is far more complicated.
“What’s interesting about this particular conflict is it’s very regional,” Stern explained.
“Normally, when we talk about closed airspace, it’s one country. But here you have closed airspace all over the region, making it very difficult.”
Instead of flying directly out of Israel, Grey Bull Rescue relied on ground movements.
Teams coordinated pickup points, moved evacuees via buses along carefully planned routes, crossed international borders, and then transferred them to charter aircraft departing from safer airports.
“We do a ground pickup, then a ground movement, then cross the border, then another ground movement to an airplane,” Stern said.
The complexity of the operation reflects the volatile conditions on the ground. Missile and drone attacks have raised the risk for any movement in or out of the region.
“Rescues are not war-zone Uber,” Stern said. “If you’re calling us, you’ve had a very bad day.”
Americans Searching for a Way Out
Among those rescued were more than 30 members of a Christian missionary group from the Tampa Bay area, who had traveled to Israel for a religious trip before the conflict intensified.
According to Stern, the group first sought assistance through traditional channels but struggled to find immediate help.
“They called the State Department, they called their Ambassador, they called this one and that one,” Stern said. “None of those people could help, so they called us, and we took care of it the next day.”
The remaining evacuees were largely American college students participating in study-abroad programs who suddenly found themselves stranded as travel routes shut down.
Grey Bull Rescue’s team organized the evacuation quickly, coordinating logistics through its case management staff while arranging buses, drivers, border access and charter aircraft.
Once evacuees cross into a neighboring country, they are typically moved to secure lodging while flights are arranged.
“We get them through the border, get passport stamps and handle the admin side,” Stern said. “Then we get them to a hotel and make sure they’re safe.”
A Growing Demand for Evacuations
The operation is just one of many the organization has conducted across multiple crisis zones. Since the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023, Grey Bull Rescue has conducted missions throughout the Middle East.
The group has also carried out evacuations in other high-risk areas around the world, including recent rescue operations in Mexico involving Americans threatened by cartel violence, as well as rescuing Maria Corina Machado from Venezuela.
But the growing number of requests for help is stretching the nonprofit thin.
“We have hundreds of people asking us for help right now,” Stern said.
In fact, he said the organization has received more than 1,000 evacuation requests during the current crisis.
Despite the demand, Grey Bull Rescue’s ability to respond depends heavily on available resources.
“We’re really limited only by funding,” Stern said. “Airplanes cost money. Buses cost money.”
The Unsung Team Behind the Rescues
While the rescue missions themselves involve security specialists and logistics teams, Stern emphasized that much of the work happens behind the scenes.
Grey Bull Rescue’s case management team, he said, serves as the backbone of the operation.
“Our case managers are the real unsung heroes,” Stern said. “They field all the requests coming in and work with families.”
He described them as part dispatcher, part social worker and part crisis counselor.
“They’re working around the clock,” Stern said. “Case management hasn’t really slept in two or three days.”
These teams coordinate pickup locations, manage communications with families, and guide evacuees through the complex logistics of moving across borders and into safe areas.
A Nonprofit Operating on Donations
Grey Bull Rescue operates as a nonprofit organization, relying heavily on donations to fund its operations. According to Stern, sustaining rescue missions like the recent evacuation from Israel requires significant resources.
“Two million dollars a year would be awesome,” he said when asked about funding needs. Without that support, Stern said the organization’s ability to conduct rescues is limited.
“We’re going to operate until we wring out every last drop,” he said.
For now, the team plans to continue operating in the region as long as resources allow.
“As long as the funding holds and the demand is there, we’ll continue to operate,” Stern told Military.com
Grey Bull Rescue has helped bring Americans home from some of the world’s most dangerous places, often working in environments where traditional evacuation channels are slow or unavailable. As previously reported by Military.com, the organization is run largely by military veterans and has conducted rescue missions across multiple conflict zones around the globe.
People who need assistance or want to support the organization’s work can visit their website, where individuals can either request help or donate to support ongoing rescue missions.
“Pretty much everyone falls into one of two categories,” Stern told Military.com. “Either you’re in trouble, or you’re able to help people who are.”
