A Moment in Air Force History


Question: What Air Force operation in 1997 airlifted African peacekeepers to Liberia to restore order after a civil war?

A. Operation Assured Lift
B. Operation Assured Response
C. Operation Quick Lift

***image1***Answer: A. Operation Assured Lift (Feb. 18 to March 3, 1997), involved five C-130Es and 147 personnel from the 37th Airlift Squadron and 86th Airlift Wing. They airlifted 1,160 Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group troops and 452 tons of cargo.

Did you know?
Operation Quick Lift (Sept. 24 to Oct. 7, 1991) was a U.S. European joint task force led by the 322d Airlift Division from Ramstein, that deployed French and Belgian troops to Zaire, Africa, and evacuated 716 people following a mutiny of army troops.
Operation Assured Response (April 9 to Aug. 3, 1996) was a Non-Combatant Emergency Evacuation operation from Liberia. A U.S. joint task force evacuated 2,444 people. The bulk of the forces were from U.S. Special Operations Command Europe. The 37th Airlift Squadron supplied two C-130Es and 50 individuals and the 86th Airlift Wing provided an Emergency Medical Treatment team. (Courtesy of 86th Airlift Wing History Office)