Operation Eastern Exit Operation Eastern Exit was the codename given to the military evacuation of the United States embassy in Mogadishu , Somalia . On 1 January 1991 , after increasing violence in Mogadishu during the Somali Civil War , 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 " , the USS " Trenton " , the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade , Air Force AC - 130 s and Navy SEAL s successfully evacuated 281 diplomats . On January 1 , 1991 , the US Ambassador to Somalia requested military assistance to evacuate the Embassy . Americans and other foreign nationals had sought shelter in the Embassy compound that day as the reign of Somali dictator Siad Barre disintegrated into a confused battle for control of Mogadishu . The next day , Operation EASTERN EXIT was initiated . Conducted between 2 – 11 January 1991 , participating units included USS Guam , USS Trenton , 4th Marine Expeditionary Bde , Air Force AC - 130 ( intelligence gathering and fire support , and 9 - man Navy SEAL team ) , and other elements . Responding to the deteriorating situation , Operation Eastern Exit involved the evacuation of 281 noncombatants from the US Embassy in Mogadishu , Somalia . Despite the priorities of the Gulf War , special operations forces helicopters were put on alert , Air Force C - 130 transport aircraft were deployed to Kenya , and two Navy amphibious ships with elements of a Marine expeditionary brigade embarked were sent south from the North Arabian Sea toward Somalia . Initial plans called for evacuation of the endangered Americans through Mogadishu ’ s international airport , utilizing Air Force aircraft staged in Kenya . The situation in Mogadishu rapidly worsened and aircraft , even those of the US Air Force , could not land safely at the airport . It seemed unlikely in any case that those sheltered at the Embassy could travel safely through the embattled city to the airport . A contingency MAGTF ( Marine Air - Ground Task Force ) was formed from 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade elements aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Guam ( LPH 9 ) and amphibious transport ship USS Trenton ( LPD 14 ) . The special purpose MAGTF that conducted Operation Eastern Exit consisted of a reinforced helicopter squadron , a combat service support detachment , and less than one battalion of infantry embarked on two amphibious ships . The MAGTF included two squadrons of CH - 46 medium transport helicopters and a detachment of two CH - 53E heavy transport helicopters . The ground combat element included the Headquarters and Service Company , one rifle company , and the 81 mm mortar platoon from 1st Battalion , 2d Marines . The combat service support element included a military police platoon , landing support detachment , and medical / dental detachment that would be responsible for manning the evacuation coordination center . By 4 January , it had become apparent that the Embassy ’ s only hope lay with the two ships still steaming south at flank speed . At 0247 on the morning of 5 January , at a distance of 466 nautical miles from Mogadishu , the USS Guam launched the two CH - 53Es with a 60 - man security force , including a 9 - man US Navy sea - air - land ( SEAL ) team . The flight required two aerial refuelings en route from KC - 130 aircraft . The first guaranteed enough fuel to reach the embassy compound ; the second provided enough fuel to begin the return flight to the ships . CH - 53Es landed at the Embassy compound at 0710 . About 100 armed Somali stood with ladders by one wall . As the CH - 53Es flew into the compound , the Somali scattered . Shortly after the helicopters touched down , a special operations AC - 130 gunship arrived overhead to provide fire support , if needed . The CH - 53Es unloaded the security force , and the SEAL team concentrated on protecting the ambassador at the chancery building while the Marines secured the remainder of the compound . After an hour on the ground , the CH - 53Es lifted off with 61 evacuees for the return flight , with one aerial refueling , to the USS Guam , now 350 – 380 miles away . On the ground , the security force maintained the perimeter throughout the day . A few stray rounds impacted within the compound , but the Marines did not return fire . At one point during the day , a detachment from the security force and the embassy staff formed a convoy of hardened commercial vehicles to escort four American officials and several foreign nationals from the Office of Military Cooperation , which was several blocks away . Throughout the day , foreigners seeking evacuation arrived at the embassy . Meanwhile , the USS Guam and USS Trenton had continued to steam at full speed toward Mogadishu , and upon arriving near the coast at 0043 on 6 January , they launched the final evacuation at midnight . This consisted of four waves of five CH - 46s each . The first three waves were to evacuate civilians ; the last wave would withdraw the security force . The entire CH - 46 evolution was conducted using night vision goggles during the hours of darkness with the embassy compound darkened . As the last wave of CH - 46s lifted off with the security force , armed looters could be seen scaling the walls of the embassy compound . The evacuation was declared complete at 0343 on 6 January when the last CH - 46 wave returned to the USS Guam . The ships turned north for Muscat , Oman , with 281 evacuees , including eight ambassadors , 61 Americans , and 39 Soviets . The entire expedition lasted less than 10 days . From the launch of the CH - 53Es to the return of the last CH - 46s , the evacuation itself had lasted less than 24 hours . On 11 January , the USS Guam and USS Trenton offloaded the evacuees in Muscat , including an infant born aboard ship , bringing the operation to a successful conclusion . EASTERN EXIT , which resulted in the rescue of 281 people — from 30 different countries — from a bloody civil war , was the result of the synergistic employment of widely dispersed joint forces that rapidly planned and conducted a NEO in the midst of the Gulf War .