FACT CHECK: No, The US Special Forces Did Not Destroy A Plane At An Alaskan Air Force Base

Christine Sellers | Fact Check Reporter

A post shared on Facebook claims the U.S. Special Forces purportedly destroyed an Air Force plane at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska recently.

Verdict: False

The claim is false and originally stems from a Mar. 19 article published on the satire site “Real Raw News.”

Fact Check:

Ben Eielson Junior-Senior High School, a school located on Eielson Air Force Base, is considering closing “due to budget shortfalls,” according to Anchorage Daily News. If the school closes, it will save the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District $2 million a year, the outlet reported.

The Facebook post claims the U.S. Special Forces purportedly destroyed an Air Force plane at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska recently. The post further claims the U.S. Special Forces received a tip about the plane’s location from the “friendly forces at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage,” prompting them to make a trip to Eielson Air Force Base. The U.S. Special Forces then allegedly killed eight “hired mercenaries” who were guarding the plane before placing their bodies on the aircraft and rigging it with incendiary devices, also according to the post.

The claim is false and originally stems from a Mar. 19 article published on the satire site, “Real Raw News.” A “Disclaimer” included on the site’s “About Us” page indicates its content is not meant to be taken literally. “Information on this website is for informational and educational and entertainment purposes. This website contains humor, parody, and satire. We have included this disclaimer for our protection, on the advice on legal counsel,” the disclaimer reads.

In addition, the latest article references a Mar. 10 piece published by the website claiming the U.S. Special Forces had previously destroyed an Air Force Boeing 747. Check Your Fact also debunked that claim as false. (RELATED: No, U.S. Marines Did Not Arrest Victoria Nuland And Robert Kagan)

Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the site’s latest claim. The Department of Defense (DOD) neither referenced the claim via its website nor its verified social media accounts and President Joe Biden has not publicly commented on the claim, either.

Check Your Fact has contacted DOD/The Pentagon for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.

Christine Sellers

Fact Check Reporter

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