On Sunday, US special operations personnel spearheaded the evacuation of roughly 100 Americans from the embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, but 12 Marine security guards stationed there also assisted in preserving security during a vital period.
U.S. special operations forces led the evacuation of nearly 100 Americans from the embassy in Khartoum, Sudan on Sunday, but 12 Marine security guards stationed there also contributed to the effort, according to U.S. officials. The Marines’ relationships with interagency partners at the Department of State ensured swift coordination and their actions maintained security and resulted in a safe movement out of Khartoum. After leaving Khartoum, the Marines returned to the United States via Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Some officials within the Marine Corps expressed concerns that the Pentagon didn’t send Marine forces for the evacuation due to a lack of ready amphibious ships. Marine security guards officially have been assigned to protect embassies and consulates since 1948 and serve three-year deployments. Marine security guards also helped in evacuations of the embassies in Kabul in 2021 and Kyiv, Ukraine, in 2022.
