![Sailors operate landing craft air cushions during recovery efforts of a high-altitude balloon in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 8, 2023.](https://www.armytimes.com/resizer/xcxxjC_7JMKP7TrQ2u9rQGnN56g=/1440x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/archetype/AF2IXJV3I5FWLJKLAQUDAYK2BI.jpg)
Sailors operate landing craft air cushions during recovery efforts of a high-altitude balloon in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 8, 2023. (MCS1 Ryan Seelbach/Navy)
![Sailors operate landing craft air cushions during recovery efforts of a high altitude balloon in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 8, 2023.](https://www.armytimes.com/resizer/gkE0sYVz7Ywflwx9fNsPFvtGhAw=/1440x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/archetype/H6XQLBQELFDT3GMKJBU3MZ4HIU.jpg)
Sailors operate landing craft air cushions during recovery efforts of a high-altitude balloon in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 8, 2023. (MCS1 Ryan Seelbach/Navy)
![Sailors operate landing craft air cushions during recovery efforts of a high altitude balloon in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 8, 2023.](https://www.armytimes.com/resizer/Vgsc6liEhn0-5yrhhzf7sjZZ9EQ=/1440x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/archetype/EZNBP5DBDZCXLJ2ASJTML6O7NY.jpg)
Sailors operate landing craft air cushions during recovery efforts of a high-altitude balloon in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 8, 2023. (MCS3 Eric Moser/Navy)
![Sailors operate landing craft air cushions during recovery efforts of a high altitude balloon in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 8, 2023.](https://www.armytimes.com/resizer/9lkQzA3VBRwZEHuGDDYzIY79KBM=/1440x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/archetype/XMDTSYBY25DWZNPBWBPE4SYCBQ.jpg)
Sailors operate landing craft air cushions during recovery efforts of a high-altitude balloon in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 8, 2023. (MCS1 Ryan Seelbach/Navy)
![Sailors operate landing craft air cushions during recovery efforts of a high-altitude balloon in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 8, 2023.](https://www.armytimes.com/resizer/fpp7dLzeeC2X73-2Xa_YVVt998c=/1440x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/archetype/NHTPO7HI4VDJND6NMTPYQ4EZDQ.jpg)
Sailors operate landing craft air cushions during recovery efforts of a high-altitude balloon in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 8, 2023. (MCS3 Eric Moser/Navy)
![Sailors conduct pre-dive checks during recovery efforts of a high altitude balloon in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 7, 2023.](https://www.armytimes.com/resizer/5zNp0k6Y7gWRS4-Ma9eon-DVZ4o=/1440x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/archetype/PRKUD3U2IRACLHIPGNH2YS4YVY.jpg)
Sailors conduct pre-dive checks during recovery efforts of a high-altitude balloon in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 7, 2023. (MCS1 Ryan Seelbach/Navy)
![Sailors prepare an underwater vehicle to search for debris during recovery efforts of a high altitude balloon in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 7, 2023.](https://www.armytimes.com/resizer/Qvnswkr-htctU8MWIZsWTzkBOVw=/1440x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/archetype/YQPAVWPUGFFBHIG3PQ5YJ77QFY.jpg)
Sailors prepare an underwater vehicle to search for debris during recovery efforts of a high-altitude balloon in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 7, 2023. (MCS1 Ryan Seelbach/Navy)
![Sailors prepare to conduct a search for debris during recovery efforts of a high altitude balloon in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 7, 2023.](https://www.armytimes.com/resizer/VE-GxeY9fG-qLM9QVc3WFd80CWE=/1440x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/archetype/M5MN54EZZBGWPCADQ52XPTRWFE.jpg)
Sailors prepare to conduct a search for debris during recovery efforts of a high-altitude balloon in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 7, 2023. (MCS1 Ryan Seelbach/Navy)
![A sailor conducts a search for debris with an underwater vehicle during recovery efforts of a high altitude balloon in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 7, 2023.](https://www.armytimes.com/resizer/y7CCWkt1YLjgHqlSTLlKYD6j7pg=/1440x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/archetype/RQQ4VVAPKJDOBM7QRUDE2XYORE.jpg)
A sailor conducts a search for debris with an underwater vehicle during recovery efforts of a high-altitude balloon in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 7, 2023. (MCS1 Ryan Seelbach/Navy)
![A landing craft air cushion approaches the well deck of the dock landing ship USS Carter Hall on Feb. 7, 2023](https://www.armytimes.com/resizer/EV8jfaeXifVMaHZCeGUYKAmzkVc=/1440x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/archetype/UNS6MX7FHRGDXJNYTO4ZM3GAXI.jpg)
A landing craft air cushion approaches the well deck of the dock landing ship USS Carter Hall on Feb. 7, 2023, during efforts to recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon shot down Feb. 4 over the Atlantic Ocean. (Lt. j.g. Jerry Ireland/Navy)
![Sailors recover a high altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, while the dock landing ship USS Carter Hall transits nearby, Feb. 5, 2023.](https://www.armytimes.com/resizer/YDiqrPQ7ra4CYCGcuEphEO6vdlY=/1440x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/archetype/FOTHUNQFHZFNNLBBDV6DK6PCWI.jpg)
Sailors recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, while the dock landing ship USS Carter Hall transits nearby, Feb. 5, 2023. (MCS1 Tyler Thompson/Navy)
![Sailors recover a high altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Feb. 5, 2023.](https://www.armytimes.com/resizer/8dSOqxaAZ9DsBuu-ng2B022MeP4=/1440x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/archetype/FR7A2J42TFFGVDEKSVTPQQSYP4.jpg)
Sailors recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Feb. 5, 2023. (MCS1 Tyler Thompson/Navy)
![A Coast Guard helicopter flies over a debris field during recovery efforts of a high-altitude surveillance balloon Feb. 4, 2023.](https://www.armytimes.com/resizer/7O8J_Xpm7C7vwBfTrdE7BQdUdwo=/1440x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/archetype/VMDUJXCZINDQTDBJ7ZTH7R3HVY.jpg)
A Coast Guard helicopter flies over a debris field during recovery efforts of a high-altitude surveillance balloon Feb. 4, 2023. (Lt. j.g. Jerry Ireland/Navy)