South Carolina – U.S. Representative Nancy Mace says a mission that began as a personal effort to help one stranded family ultimately grew into a much larger evacuation effort, bringing hundreds of Americans out of the Middle East with the help of Florida-based nonprofit organization as tensions in the region continue to escalate.
The South Carolina Republican revealed in a post Thursday that she had just returned from Israel aboard what she described as a rescue flight carrying American citizens who had been trying to leave the region during the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
Mace explained that her trip initially had a much narrower focus: helping a family from South Carolina that had become trapped amid missile strikes and security warnings.
According to the congresswoman, once she arrived in the region and the family she intended to assist safely returned to the United States, she quickly learned that many more Americans remained stranded.
Thousands of people, she said, were still trying to find a safe way out while navigating an increasingly volatile environment marked by rocket fire, warning sirens, and constant uncertainty.
“When your people are stranded in a war zone getting hit with missiles and rockets, the only answer worthy of the office — worthy of our country — is to get them out,” Mace wrote, describing the motivation behind her decision to travel overseas.
I left Israel last night on a rescue flight full of Americans.
I originally went to the Middle East because there was a South Carolina family who was stranded. And because when your people are stranded in a war zone getting hit with missiles and rockets, the only answer worthy… pic.twitter.com/v7TJssPb65
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) March 12, 2026
What followed, she said, became something far larger than she initially expected. Mace worked alongside the U.S. State Department and helped coordinate transportation for Grey Bull Rescue, a Florida-based nonprofit organization led by military veterans that specializes in evacuating Americans and allied civilians from dangerous environments.
The organization had personnel ready to carry out evacuation operations but lacked aircraft capacity to move those waiting to leave the region. Mace said she stepped in to help secure a plane, allowing the mission to move forward.
Grey Bull Rescue reported that 155 Americans were evacuated during the mission on Wednesday, including families traveling with infants and students who had been unable to leave earlier. The operation marked the group’s 808th rescue mission.
Last night, Grey Bull Rescue evacuated another aircraft full of Americans trapped in Israel under threat from Iranian missiles and drones.
With support from Congresswoman Nancy Mace @RepNancyMace and coordination with the U.S. Department of State, 155 Americans were evacuated… pic.twitter.com/yilWI8Vnwy
— Grey Bull Rescue (@greybullrescue) March 12, 2026
The nonprofit has been operating extensively in the Middle East since the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, which triggered the broader war in Gaza and heightened security concerns across the region.
Since joint U.S.–Israeli evacuation efforts began on Feb. 28, the group says it has helped extract 591 Americans from the conflict zone.
In a statement describing the work, Grey Bull Rescue highlighted the reality many evacuees had endured before leaving. Families had spent weeks sheltering from missile strikes, often crowded into bomb shelters as warning sirens echoed overhead and explosions shook nearby areas.
“Families. Children. Babies,” the organization said, describing those it helped evacuate. Many had spent days or weeks waiting for an opportunity to escape while monitoring escalating threats.
Although the organization emphasized that its mission is not political, Grey Bull Rescue founder and chairman Bryan Stern acknowledged the assistance provided by multiple U.S. government agencies and officials. Stern thanked Mace, the U.S. State Department, and American embassies in Amman, Jordan and Jerusalem for helping coordinate the evacuation process.
He also praised consular officers working on the ground, noting that embassy staff have been operating under significant pressure while assisting Americans trying to leave the region.
“We watched the Consular Staffs of both embassies work tirelessly to assist Americans to the best of their ability within the confines of policy limitations,” Stern said, adding that the individuals working those posts have been assisting citizens around the clock.
The broader security situation has prompted heightened caution from U.S. officials. The State Department has issued a worldwide alert warning of potential retaliatory threats beyond Iran as tensions continue to ripple across the region.
Americans currently overseas have been urged to remain alert, follow local security guidance, and depart the region if safe travel options become available.
According to the State Department’s latest update, more than 43,000 Americans have returned safely to the United States since the conflict escalated.
For those still seeking help, the department has maintained a 24-hour emergency contact system for citizens abroad. Americans outside the country can call +1-202-501-4444, while those in the United States or Canada can reach assistance at +1-888-407-4747.
Reflecting on the trip, Mace described the experience as exhausting but meaningful. She said witnessing the conflict firsthand underscored the stakes involved when Americans are caught in dangerous situations far from home.
She expressed gratitude for the volunteers and officials who helped carry out the evacuations and said the experience reinforced her belief that leadership sometimes requires direct action rather than waiting from afar.
