Desert One War - Military Conflict in the Persian Gulf 1978-1981: The Iranian Revolution of 1979 caught the US by surprise. Before long the US embassy was stormed and its staff taken hostage, resulting in a hastily-organized rescue attempt that failed. The lessons learned from the incident led to a renaissance of US special operations that can still be seen today.

Other Articles:

• Shaba Wars - 1977-1978: After gaining independence from Belgium in June 1960, the situation in the Congo went badly from the start. Never was the nation more shaken to its core than during the Shaba Wars of the late 1970s.
• Hill 3234: On Hill 3234 in the eastern mountains of Afghanistan, Soviet troops fought an epic two-day battle against the mujahideen during the winter of 1988.
• Operation Eastern Exit - Mogadishu Evacuation 1991: While the world waited for the impending war against Iraq, a small naval task force was diverted to Somalia to evacuate the embassy in Mogadishu in January 1991.