Operation TIGER RESCUE
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In May 1994, a civil war broke out in the country of Yemen. The country had only recently formed from the unification of North Yemen and South Yemen. 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 U.S. citizens, both civilian and government employees, from Yemen.
[edit] Evacuation Operation
The only U.S. military forces available for this short-notice tasking were C-130s 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 the deployed operations officer, Lieutenant Colonel Kurt Kaiser.
First, a single C-130 would take Lt Col Kaiser and a small support team into Sana'a's international airport. There, he would meet with the U.S. Embassy staff and determine the best method for evacuating U.S. citizens. At the time Lt Col Kaiser and his staff had no idea how many people would need to be airlifted. It quickly became apparent that there were many more U.S. citizens in Yemen than had been suspected. What had initially appeared to be a small airlift requiring perhaps three or four flights quickly grew to a multi-day operation using all of the C-130s deployed to Dhahran.
Because of the uncertain security situation in Sana'a - due to the missile and air attacks - C-130s from Dhahran flew a three hour flight from Dhahran to a holding point northwest of the capital. When the aircraft approached Sana'a, the Embassy personnel would gather a group of evacuees on the airport. The aircrews would put their planes into holding, then await a radio call from Lt Col Kaiser. When the passengers were ready at the airfield and no air attacks were taking place, Lt Col Kaiser would approve the aircraft to land. The crews would make a quick approach, load the evacuees, keeping their engines running, then depart for the three hour flight back to Dhahran.
The first day of the airlift was composed almost entirely of unsupported C-130s. However, deployed E-3 AWACS and F-15s began providing support to the C-130s on the second day. While rebel MiGs approached the holding C-130s at times, they never came close enough to pose a danger.
Once other nations realized the U.S. 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.
[edit] Origin of the name TIGER RESCUE
On a humorous side note, the name TIGER RESCUE came about during an initial planning meeting at Dhahran. Lt Col Kaiser asked his staff for possible operational names. One young captain suggested "Operation WHAT THE F*** ARE ALL THOSE AMERICANS DOING IN YEMEN?" Lt Col Kaiser over ruled that and quickly decided on TIGER RESCUE since the 41st Airlift Squadron had recently came under the control the the 23d Fighter Wing, known as the Flying Tigers.
