A US Marines Special Operations unit evacuated civilians in June 1998 after a conflict erupted between Eritrea and Ethiopia the previous month over the longtime dispute of their border location. During the mission, dubbed Operation Safe Departure, 172 people were evacuated, including 105 Americans, 24 from Norway, 20 from the United Kingdom, eight from Canada, six from Eritrea, three from Ethiopia and Japan, and one from Mexico, Sweden, and Korea. The special operations team, comprised of 30 Marines, sailors as well as a small ground combat security unit, had been on a six month deployment as part of an amphibious group stationed on three ships.
Famous US Special Forces operations
Here are six of the most famous successful American special operations missions in recent memory.
7. Eritrea, 1998
