May 16, 1978

In Operation Zaire I, Military Airlift Command employs 43 C-141 and C-5 missions to transport 931 tons of cargo and 124 passengers to Zaire to aid Belgian and French troops who had intervened to rescue European workers threatened by a Katangan rebel invasion from Angola. For this operation, Lt. Col. Robert F. Schultz and Capt. Todd H. Hohberger and their C-5 crews earned the Mackay Trophy for overcoming fatigue, limited en route support, crippling mechanical problems, and adverse operational conditions in a hostile area.