In a recent press conference, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said U.S. missions in foreign countries had overseen the evacuations of more than 45,000 American citizens back to the U.S. due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

A thousand things have to be considered in evacuations. In this case, what airports are still open in the different countries? If commercial flights have been halted, special flights must be set up.

Is the country in lock down? Where are U.S. citizens located—in urban cities or in remote areas?

How many Americans want to leave? Some citizens keep changing their minds. American officials must deal with filling empty seats when some suddenly decide to stay.

I watched a video of the U.S. ambassador to Algeria thanking the Algerian government for their help in evacuating American from that country. One of the benefits of American missions to foreign countries is that lines of communication are already set up between American and foreign officials.

Each U.S. embassy and mission in the world draws up emergency evacuation plans. They can vary in how up-to-date they are. Obviously, evacuations from Japan would differ from evacuations from Tibet.

I was in Saudi Arabia during both Gulf wars and participated in constant meetings to review and revise emergency plans as situations changed. The eastern part of the country was targeted by Iraqi missiles during the first war, and wartime restrictions created an added barrier.

U.S. officials often must deal with the stress of caring for their own families. They also must deal with reduced staff as missions are drawn down to essential personnel.