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Hello. You are probably ex or current USAF by your screen name. Thank you for your service.

I used to fly AMC airlifters. You are correct airlift is the most flexible, and the fastest. NEOs, depending on the scope, size, and availability of Seaports and Airports - are usually a combination of assets. In 2006, we used commercial aircraft, military aircraft, military ships, and commercial ships. Moreover, the Navy uses the assault groups to provide security during the NEO. From 2006:

Lebanon Non-combatant Evacuation Operation (NEO) 2006 The United States began to evacuate some citizens from Lebanon on July 16, 2006. On July 17, two Marine Corps CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopters aided in the voluntary departure of 42 American citizens from the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. The citizens were flown to Royal Air Force Base Akrotiri in Cyprus. The Marine helicopters are part of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) currently in the middle of a six-month deployment to the European and Central Command theaters of operation. US citizens that are being flown out via helicopter are the elderly, those with small children and special medical needs. Sixty more people were airlifted from the US Embassy on July 18. The six Marine Corps CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopters will continue to ferry special needs people out of Beirut. The Department of Defense hoped to evacuate approximately 300 people by air per day. Around 200 people were evacuated by air on July 19. On July 17, the Pentagon announced that it had chartered a cruise ship, Orient Queen, to evacuate US citizens. The Orient Queen docked in Beirut on July 18 and left the 19th with about 900 people on board. She reached Cyprus in the early morning of the 20th. The ship was being escorted by the USS Gonzalez (DDG 66). The Orient Queen has a capacity of around 800, and will ferry evacuees from Beirut to Larnaca, Cyprus. Also on July 17, U.S. Sailors and Marines from the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) have been directed to assist in the authorized departure of American citizens from Lebanon. The ESG and MEU are operating in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations and expect to be in place to provide assistance later this week. The Iwo Jima Strike Group includes the amphibious ships Iwo Jima, USS Nashville (LPD 13) and USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41). USS Trenton (LPD 14) and High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2) have also joined the strike group. "