While the South Sound cheered on the Seahawks to victory (OK, maybe not exactly game time), two U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft out of McChord Field airlifted a Rwandan mechanized battalion, per request of the French government and African Union authorities continued airlifting a Rwandan mechanized battalion.

According to a report filed from Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Force Africa, the joint operation with personnel from the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force was in support of an African Union effort to confront destabilizing forces and violence within Central African Republic.

"The African Union has decided to stand up a mission in the Central African Republic to decrease the violence that has been occurring over the last several months," Lt. Col. Allen Pepper, senior officer in Central African Republic, U.S. Army Africa said. "A part of that is getting enough troops on the ground to execute that mission."

Each airlift mission stages out of Entebbe, Uganda and consists of transporting soldiers and equipment from Kigali, Rwanda to Bangui, Central Africa Republic.

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Below are snapshots of Team McChord's efforts to airlift the Rwandan soldiers on an airfield in the Central African Republic Jan. 19.

>>> A C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash., is parked, engines running, on an airfield in the Central African Republic to drop off Rwandan soldiers Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. forces will transport a total number of 850 Rwandan soldiers and more than 1000 tons of equipment into the Central African Republic to aid French and African Union operations against militants during this three week-long operation. Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane

>>> Rwandan soldiers and their equipment are flown from Rwanda to the Central Africa Republic on a C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base. Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane

>>> Rwandan soldiers form up after a C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash. dropped them off in the Central African Republic Jan. 19. Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane

>>> Rwandan soldiers wait in line at the Kigali airport to have their weapons inspected by Staff Sgt. Curtis McWoodson, 627th Security Forces Squadron Phoenix Raven, before getting on a C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base. Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane

>>> Senior Airman Paul Gonzalez, 627th Security Forces Squadron Phoenix Raven, scans the airfield for any threats while the C-17 Globemaster III is parked in Rwanda, Jan. 19, 2014. Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane

>>> Tech. Sgt. Tim Raymon and Airman 1st Class Kyle Switzer, 62nd Airlift Wing loadmasters, review their load plan before flying into Rwanda to pick up Rwandan soldiers and equipment. Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane