Operation Tiger Rescue
Encyclopedia
Operation Tiger Rescue was the evacuation
of United States citizens by the United States Air Force
from Yemen
following the outbreak of civil war
in May 1994.
Yemen had only recently been formed by the unification of North Yemen and South Yemen in 1990. After unification, North Yemen dominated the new country and the southern part of the country attempted to secede.
While the south bore the brunt of the fighting, the capital of Sana'a
came under missile and air attack. As fighting intensified, the United States State Department requested the immediate evacution of United States citizens, both civilian and government employees, from Yemen.
of the 41st Airlift Squadron
deployed from their home base of Pope Air Force Base
to King Abdul Aziz Air Base in Dhahran
, Saudi Arabia
. When the unit received its tasking, it quickly developed an initial plan under the direction of Captain Jon Weisenger (Aircraft Commander of the second C-130 aircraft in the airlift package) and briefed to the 4410th Airlift Squadron Provisional deployed operations officer, Lieutenant Colonel Kurt K. Kaiser.
On 4 May 1994, a single C-130 took Lt Col Kaiser and a small support team of para-rescue members into Sana'a International Airport. When they arrived, they met with the United States Embassy staff to determine the best method for gathering United States citizens at the international airport. Lt Col Kaiser had assumed that the United States would need only three or four flights based on initial assessment of the number of American citizens requiring evacuation. It quickly became apparent that there were more than six hundred American citizens in Yemen. This larger number of evacuees led to a multi-day operation using all American C-130s deployed to Dhahran with a follow-on flight of a single C-141 transport the remaining American citizens.
The airlift began on May 5, 1994 with four C-130s. Because of the uncertain security situation in Sana'a - due to the missile and air attacks - C-130s departed Dhahran with a maximum fuel load. They flew a four-hour flight from Dhahran to a holding point northwest of the capital in international airspace - due to the Government of Saudi Arabia forbidding direct flights across the border into Yemen. When the aircraft approached Sana'a, the aircrews put their planes into holding while Embassy personnel gathered evacuees at the airport. When the passengers were ready at the airfield and low threat air attacks were taking place, pararescue team members on the airfield radioed the aircraft, approving them to land. The crews made quick, loaded the evacuees with engines running, then departed for the four-hour flight back to Dhahran. Because of disorganization at Sana'a International Airport and delays loading (ground times for some C-130 aircraft exceeded three hours), all four C-130s involved departed Sana'a overloaded with passengers and forced to make an emergency divert to Ta'if Regional Airport, landing dangerously low on fuel (in some cases with less than 20 minutes of flight time remaining) before continuing on to Riyadh Air Base
. The airlift evacuated approximately 400 American citizens on the first day.
E-3 AWACS and F-15s
deployed to Saudi Arabia provided some support to the airlift. Both AWACS and fighter crews opted to remain well within the protected airspace of Saudi Arabia. They provided sporadic and ineffective support to the C-130s on the first day and only slightly improved on the second day. While rebel MiG
s approached the holding and ingressing C-130s at times, they only intermittently came close enough to pose a danger. The C-130s also experienced close monitoring by offensive attack helicopters while conducting ground operations and loading.
The final airlift took place on 6 May 1994 with a single C-141 aircraft transporting all the remaining United States civilians, embassy workers, and the United States military ground party. While the mission was presented with a lower threat environment, there still remained a very real threat to the aircraft and crew.
Once other nations realized the United States was not only evacuating its citizens, but also providing air cover, they began evacuating their own citizens, but these operations were not part of Tiger Rescue.
, nicknamed the Flying Tigers.
Emergency evacuation
Emergency evacuation is the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Examples range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire to the large scale evacuation of a district because of a flood, bombardment or...
of United States citizens by the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
from Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
following the outbreak of civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
in May 1994.
Yemen had only recently been formed by the unification of North Yemen and South Yemen in 1990. After unification, North Yemen dominated the new country and the southern part of the country attempted to secede.
While the south bore the brunt of the fighting, the capital of Sana'a
Sana'a
-Districts:*Al Wahdah District*As Sabain District*Assafi'yah District*At Tahrir District*Ath'thaorah District*Az'zal District*Bani Al Harith District*Ma'ain District*Old City District*Shu'aub District-Old City:...
came under missile and air attack. As fighting intensified, the United States State Department requested the immediate evacution of United States citizens, both civilian and government employees, from Yemen.
Evacuation operation
The only United States military forces available for this short-notice tasking were C-130 HerculesC-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
of the 41st Airlift Squadron
41st Airlift Squadron
The 41st Airlift Squadron is part of the 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It operates C-130J Super Hercules aircraft.-History:...
deployed from their home base of Pope Air Force Base
Pope Air Force Base
Pope Field is a United States Army facility located 12 miles northwest of the central business district of Fayetteville, in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States.-Units:...
to King Abdul Aziz Air Base in Dhahran
Dhahran
Dhahran is a city located in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, and is a major administrative center for the Saudi oil industry. Large oil reserves were first identified in the Dhahran area in 1931, and in 1935 Standard Oil of California drilled the first commercially viable oil well...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. When the unit received its tasking, it quickly developed an initial plan under the direction of Captain Jon Weisenger (Aircraft Commander of the second C-130 aircraft in the airlift package) and briefed to the 4410th Airlift Squadron Provisional deployed operations officer, Lieutenant Colonel Kurt K. Kaiser.
On 4 May 1994, a single C-130 took Lt Col Kaiser and a small support team of para-rescue members into Sana'a International Airport. When they arrived, they met with the United States Embassy staff to determine the best method for gathering United States citizens at the international airport. Lt Col Kaiser had assumed that the United States would need only three or four flights based on initial assessment of the number of American citizens requiring evacuation. It quickly became apparent that there were more than six hundred American citizens in Yemen. This larger number of evacuees led to a multi-day operation using all American C-130s deployed to Dhahran with a follow-on flight of a single C-141 transport the remaining American citizens.
The airlift began on May 5, 1994 with four C-130s. Because of the uncertain security situation in Sana'a - due to the missile and air attacks - C-130s departed Dhahran with a maximum fuel load. They flew a four-hour flight from Dhahran to a holding point northwest of the capital in international airspace - due to the Government of Saudi Arabia forbidding direct flights across the border into Yemen. When the aircraft approached Sana'a, the aircrews put their planes into holding while Embassy personnel gathered evacuees at the airport. When the passengers were ready at the airfield and low threat air attacks were taking place, pararescue team members on the airfield radioed the aircraft, approving them to land. The crews made quick, loaded the evacuees with engines running, then departed for the four-hour flight back to Dhahran. Because of disorganization at Sana'a International Airport and delays loading (ground times for some C-130 aircraft exceeded three hours), all four C-130s involved departed Sana'a overloaded with passengers and forced to make an emergency divert to Ta'if Regional Airport, landing dangerously low on fuel (in some cases with less than 20 minutes of flight time remaining) before continuing on to Riyadh Air Base
Riyadh Air Base
Riyadh Air Base is an airport near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Two runways 01-19 and 12-30. Recently they have made a new runway 15-33....
. The airlift evacuated approximately 400 American citizens on the first day.
E-3 AWACS and F-15s
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
deployed to Saudi Arabia provided some support to the airlift. Both AWACS and fighter crews opted to remain well within the protected airspace of Saudi Arabia. They provided sporadic and ineffective support to the C-130s on the first day and only slightly improved on the second day. While rebel MiG
Mig
-Industry:*MiG, now Mikoyan, a Russian aircraft corporation, formerly the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau*Metal inert gas welding or MIG welding, a type of welding using an electric arc and a shielding gas-Business and finance:...
s approached the holding and ingressing C-130s at times, they only intermittently came close enough to pose a danger. The C-130s also experienced close monitoring by offensive attack helicopters while conducting ground operations and loading.
The final airlift took place on 6 May 1994 with a single C-141 aircraft transporting all the remaining United States civilians, embassy workers, and the United States military ground party. While the mission was presented with a lower threat environment, there still remained a very real threat to the aircraft and crew.
Once other nations realized the United States was not only evacuating its citizens, but also providing air cover, they began evacuating their own citizens, but these operations were not part of Tiger Rescue.
Origin of the name
The name Tiger Rescue was decided upon during an early planning meeting at Dhahran, and was chosen because the 41st Airlift Squadron had recently come under the control the 23d Fighter Group23d Fighter Group
The 23d Fighter Group is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 23d Wing and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia....
, nicknamed the Flying Tigers.