U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, who represents parts of Berkeley County as part of South Carolina’s 1st congressional district, says she helped evacuate dozens of Americans from an active conflict zone in the Middle East after learning a South Carolina family had become stranded there.
Mace traveled to Israel earlier this week to assist in bringing the family home safely. But what began as an effort focused on a single family quickly expanded into a larger evacuation mission involving more than 150 Americans.
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Working alongside the veteran-led nonprofit Grey Bull Rescue, Mace joined what the organization described as its 808th rescue mission, helping evacuate 155 Americans, including 11 infants and dozens of women and children, from the region.
According to the nonprofit, the evacuation took place amid ongoing attacks involving missiles and drones launched by Iran and its allies.
A mission that expanded quickly
Mace said she initially traveled overseas after being contacted about a South Carolina family trapped in the conflict.
“I originally went because there was a South Carolina family who was stranded,” Mace said in a statement. “When your people are stranded in a war zone, the only answer worthy of the office — worthy of our state — worthy of our country — is to get them out.”
After helping secure the family’s return, Mace said she learned that many more Americans remained stuck in the region.
That led her to partner with Grey Bull Rescue, which had identified Americans needing evacuation but lacked aircraft capacity to move them.
“They had the people but didn’t have the plane,” Mace said. “I jumped in to assist.”
Hundreds rescued in the conflict
Grey Bull Rescue founder and chairman Bryan Stern said the nonprofit has carried out hundreds of rescue operations during the conflict.
Stern said the latest evacuation flight carried Americans who had spent weeks sheltering from missile attacks.
“Families. Children. Babies. People who have spent weeks in bomb shelters praying for their very lives,” Stern said.
The organization said it has rescued 591 Americans during the current conflict and more than 8,700 people across 808 missions overall, including operations involving Iranian or Iranian-backed threats.
Grey Bull Rescue teams are made up largely of former members of U.S. special operations forces and intelligence agencies who conduct evacuation missions in high-risk environments.
Coordination with the State Department
The nonprofit said the evacuation was coordinated with the United States Department of State and personnel from the U.S. embassies in Amman and Jerusalem.
Stern praised embassy consular staff who he said worked “day and night” to assist Americans trying to leave the region.
Mace said witnessing the conflict firsthand reinforced the stakes involved.
“Seeing this conflict firsthand reminds you of what is at stake when the world becomes dangerous and leadership becomes a question of character, not convenience,” she said.
She added that she was grateful the South Carolina family she initially traveled to help is now safely home.
