March 17, 1997

Under Operation Guardian Retrieval, US Special Operations Command and Air Mobility Command evacuate US citizens and other foreigners from Zaire, where civil unrest threatened them. SOCOM provides personnel and aircraft, including Air Force Special Operations Command MC-130s and MH-53s. AMC provides C-5s, C-17s, C-141s, and KC-135s. By the end of March, the operation flies 57 missions and transports 532 passengers.