I think in practice there is no 'they' where some sort of single bean-counter trade-off decision is made to compute an abstract utility function that weighs tro

I think in practice there is no 'they' where some sort of single bean-counter trade-off decision is made to compute an abstract utility function that weighs troop morale against expenditure. More realistically, it's a human decision making process where everyone quickly aligns to do whatever it takes to rescue the downed pilot. I've seen first hand how US military members think in real life situations like this. Everyone acts without a hint of self-interest around the clock until they have exhausted all options. In fairness, it helps that it's the US military and money is typically of no concern in operational settings. :-)