Description The U.S. estimated that as many as 25,000 Americans citizens were in Lebanon, but the number finally evacuated was approximately 15,000. After hostilities began on July 12, 2006, media reports hinted that U.S. Navy ships from the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group could be moved from exercises in the Red Sea to an offshore position in Lebanon. Shortly after, the U.S. announced and began executing a plan to evacuate its nationals using military assets, as well as a chartered cruise ship, the Orient Queen, under guard by the destroyers Gonzalez (DDG 66) and Barry (DDG 52). According to Joint Task Force Lebanon/Task Force 59 spokesperson Navy Commander Darryn C. James, since hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah militants began on July 12, 2006, the "sea bridge" and "air bridge" provided by U.S. Central Command and U.S. European Command assets helped nearly 15,000 American citizens safely depart Lebanon—one of the largest evacuations in U.S. military history. Dubbed Operation "Strengthen Hope," Department of Defense (DoD) assets such as HSV-2 Swift were also instrumental in assisting in the distribution of millions of dollars (of a U.S. pledged 230 million) in humanitarian aid to the Lebanese people. Task Force 59 personnel, led by Marine Corps Brigadier General Carl B. Jensen, were the first to arrive in the "joint operation area" (JOA) region on July 16 where DoD assets evacuated 21 American citizens out of Beirut by helicopter on the first day. On July 21, DoD assets moved more than 3,000 people and brought the total of American citizens evacuated that week to more than 6,000. Sailors and Marines from the Iwo Jima (LHD 7) Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) including Nashville (LPD 13), Whidbey Island (LSD 41), Trenton (LPD 14) and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (24th MEU) arrived on station July 20 and began using utility landing craft (LCU) to safely transport American citizens wishing to depart Lebanon to avoid the hostilities. By July 24, more than 12,000 American citizens had been pulled out of Lebanon. Most of the American citizens were transported to the island nation of Cyprus. The transfer in military responsibility to the organization that would become JTF Lebanon led by Navy Vice Admiral John "Boomer" Stufflebeem, continued the DoD mission to protect American citizens, support the American Embassy in Beirut, assist the people of Lebanon through humanitarian aid, and help the multinational effort to provide lasting regional stability.
