Operation Support Hope

President Clinton announced on 22 July, 1994 the US would aid the Rwandan refugees, dubbing the operation Support Hope. By July 24th, American military personnel had been deployed to Goma (Zaire), Kigali (Rwanda), and Entebbe (Uganda), setting up the necessary infrastructure to complement and support the humanitarian response community. A joint task force deployed to the region, its peak strength 2,592 (USAFE peak deployed strength, at locations in Africa and Europe: 325). C-5s and C-141s flew 381 sorties during the operation, supported by USAFE-controlled aerial tankers, C-130s flew 996 sorties. Two USAFE C-130s deployed and flew their last mission in central Africa on 27 September. The Army contributed to the US government's desperately needed humanitarian relief operations in Rwanda by providing clean water to combat outbreaks of cholera, helping to bury the dead and integrating the transport and distribution of relief supplies.