Named Military Operations

The daring low-level B-24 bomber raid on the Ploesti oil refineries in Romania — Nazi Germany's primary source of petroleum. 177 B-24 Liberators flew 2,400 miles round-trip at treetop level to attack the heavily defended complex.

The Allied invasion of Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, was the largest amphibious military operation in history. Over 156,000 troops landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of Normandy coast, beginning the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi occupation.

A sustained aerial bombing campaign against North Vietnam from March 1965 to November 1968. Over 864,000 tons of bombs were dropped — more than the entire Pacific theater in WWII — in an attempt to break Hanoi's will and stop infiltration into South Vietnam.

The 'Christmas Bombings' — an intensive 11-day strategic bombing campaign against Hanoi and Haiphong in December 1972. B-52 bombers flew 729 sorties, dropping over 15,000 tons of ordnance on North Vietnam's capital and largest port.

The US invasion of the tiny Caribbean island nation of Grenada following a Marxist military coup. The Reagan administration cited the presence of Cuban construction workers and the safety of American medical students as justification.

The US air strike against Libya in retaliation for the Berlin discotheque bombing that killed two US servicemen. F-111 bombers flew 6,400 miles round-trip from bases in England to strike targets in Tripoli and Benghazi.

Largest US naval engagement since WWII. Destroyed half of Iran operational navy in a single day.

The US invasion of Panama to depose Manuel Noriega, a former CIA asset turned drug trafficker and dictator. 27,684 US troops invaded in the largest American military operation since Vietnam.

The US-led coalition air and ground campaign to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation. A 38-day air campaign followed by a 100-hour ground war demolished the world's fourth-largest army in under six weeks.

The humanitarian and military operation to protect Kurdish refugees in northern Iraq following the Gulf War. After Saddam Hussein's brutal crackdown on Kurdish uprisings, the US established a no-fly zone and safe haven for 500,000 Kurdish refugees.

Humanitarian intervention that became Black Hawk Down debacle. 18 Americans killed in Battle of Mogadishu.

The failed US special operations raid in Mogadishu to capture Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid's top lieutenants. Two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down, leading to a 15-hour urban battle that killed 19 Americans and an estimated 500-1,000 Somalis.

The US invasion of Afghanistan following 9/11, initially targeting al-Qaeda and the Taliban. What began as a targeted strike became America's longest war, spanning four presidencies and costing over $2 trillion when veteran care is included.

The first major ground operation of the Afghan War, targeting al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters in the Shah-i-Kot Valley. US and Afghan forces attempted to encircle and destroy an estimated 150-200 fighters but found 700-1,000 instead.

The US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq based on claims of weapons of mass destruction that did not exist. The initial invasion toppled Saddam Hussein in 21 days but triggered a sectarian civil war and insurgency lasting years.

Navy SEAL Team 6 raid on Osama bin Laden compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. 38 minutes from entry to extraction. Bin Laden killed and buried at sea.

The US-led international coalition campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Combined air strikes, special operations, and support for local ground forces to dismantle the Islamic State's self-declared caliphate.

First US strikes on Iran — 37-hour air campaign targeting nuclear facilities at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.

Joint US-Israeli campaign against Iran. Khamenei killed. 1,000+ targets hit. Iran retaliated against 27 US bases, closed Strait of Hormuz. 3 US troops killed.