Operation Eastern Exit was the codename given to the military evacuation of the United States embassy

United States Ambassador to Somalia

Somalia was formed July 1, 1960, from the unification of the British protectorate of Somaliland with Italian Somaliland. The United States immediately recognized the Somali government and moved to establish diplomatic relations. The U.S. Embassy in the capital Mogadiscio was established on July...

 in Mogadishu

Mogadishu

Mogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....

, Somalia. On 1 January 1991, after increasing violence in Mogadishu during the Somali Civil War

Somali Civil War

The Somali Civil War is an ongoing civil war taking place in Somalia. The conflict, which began in 1991, has caused destabilisation throughout the country, with the current phase of the conflict seeing the Somali government losing substantial control of the state to rebel forces...

, James Keough Bishop, the then US ambassador to Somalia, requested military assistance to evacuate the embassy. Over the course of the subsequent nine days, the United States military including the USS Guam

USS Guam (LPH-9)

USS Guam , an Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship, was laid down by the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard 15 November 1962; launched 22 August 1964; sponsored by Mrs. Vaughn H. Emory Green; and commissioned 16 January 1965, Captain N. E. Thurmon in command...

, the USS Trenton

USS Trenton (LPD-14)

USS Trenton , an Austin-class amphibious transport dock, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the capital of New Jersey.-Building process:...

, the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade

Marine Expeditionary Brigade

A Marine Expeditionary Brigade is a formation of the United States Marine Corps, a Marine Air-Ground Task Force of approximately 14,500 Marines and Sailors constructed around a reinforced infantry regiment, a composite Marine aircraft group, a logistics group and a command element...

, 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...

 AC-130

Lockheed AC-130

The Lockheed AC-130 gunship is a heavily-armed ground-attack aircraft variant of the C-130 Hercules transport plane. The basic airframe is manufactured by Lockheed, while Boeing is responsible for the conversion into a gunship and for aircraft support...

s and Navy SEAL

United States Navy SEALs

The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...

s successfully evacuated 281 diplomats.

See also

• List of military operations
• Military operations other than war
  Military operations other than war
  Military Operations Other Than War focus on deterring war, resolving conflict, promoting peace, and supporting civil authorities in response to domestic crises. The phrase and acronym was coined by the United States military during the 1990s, but it has since fallen out of use. The UK military...
  
   (MOOTW)
• Operational art
• Counter Revolutionary Operations (CRO)
• Effects-Based Operations
  Effects-Based Operations
  Effects-Based Operations is a United States military concept which emerged during the 1991 Gulf War for the planning and conduct of operations combining military and non-military methods to achieve a particular effect...
  
  (EBO)