The pilot Maj. Rex Chapman is wearing LtCol rank on his flight suit.
The mission is to rescue 38 US Prisoners of War. The unit executes the mission with two UH-1 Huey helicopters, each with a maximum capacity of 14 personnel and actually carrying nearly that many assault troops for the rescue. Where were they going to put the freed POWs? (The real-life Raid on Son Tay Prison in North Vietnam to rescue an estimated 60 POWs, on which this episode was based, was actually executed by 56 assault troops using five much larger HH-53 Super Jolly helicopters each with a capacity for carrying 37 personnel.)