FACT CHECK: No, The U.S. Special Forces Did Not Recently Destroy An Air Force Boeing 747

Christine Sellers | Fact Check Reporter

A post shared on Facebook claims the U.S. Special Forces purportedly destroyed an Air Force Boeing 747 on Mar. 5.

Verdict: False

The claim is false and stems from a Mar. 10 article published on the satire site “Real Raw News.” A spokesperson for the Pentagon denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.

Fact Check:

The Department of Defense (DOD) is reportedly preparing to open its Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy on Mar. 18, according to The Record. The office will temporarily be led by Ashley Manning, the former acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and the Principal Director for Plans and Posture in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (OUSD) for Policy, the outlet reported.

The Facebook post claims the U.S. Special Forces purportedly destroyed an Air Force Boeing 747 on Mar. 5. The post further claims the U.S. Special Forces supposedly infiltrated Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, where they allegedly rigged the aircraft with incendiary charges and accelerants. Prior to its destruction, the aircraft purportedly “had been airborne over the Texas panhandle,” according to the post.

The claim is false and stems from a Mar. 10 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.

Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. In fact, the opposite is true. Lead Stories indicated the claim was false and originally stemmed from the satire site in a Mar. 13 article. (RELATED: No, Navy JAG Did Not Hang Arati Prabhakar For Treason)
Additionally, the claim is neither referenced on the DOD’s website nor its verified social media accounts. President Joe Biden also has not publicly commented on the claim via his personal or government X accounts.
A spokesperson for the Pentagon denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
“This claim is false,” the spokesperson said.

Christine Sellers

Fact Check Reporter

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