First: Delta Force Members

The first Delta operators loaded into C-130s and RH-53D helicopters, flew into the Iranian desert, and watched their mission unravel due to sandstorms, mechanical failures, and a catastrophic collision on the ground at “Desert One.”

When most people think of Delta Force, they imagine night-vision goggles, blacked-out helicopters, and lightning raids. But before the Tier 1 mystique, there was a simple, urgent question: Who would be brave enough—and skilled enough—to be the very first? first delta force members

Delta’s baptism of fire was (April 1980)—the failed attempt to rescue 52 American hostages from Tehran. The first Delta operators loaded into C-130s and