2.6

FIELD COMMAND NTPR EFFORTS.
Among the NTPR teams, the Field Command NTPR (FCNTPR) is responsible for

the group of nuclear test participants most difficult to track and quantify.
DNA tasked the FCNTPR with providing information about and to nonmilitary DOD
participants categorized as follows:

civilians from the Secretary of Defense

level and their contractors, civilians and their contractors from agencies
other than DOD and DOE, and invited U.S. and foreign observers of the nuclear
tests.

The FCNTPR has identified about 6,000 participants in the given groups

and will assume responsibility for the remaining personnel who cannot be
identified with one of the services (23).
2.6.1

FCNTPR Tasking.
On 1 May 1951, the organization that today is Field Command was estab-

lished as part of the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project (AFSWP).

AFSWP was

redesignated the Defense Atomic Support Agency in 1959 and then the Defense
Nuclear Agency in 1971.

On 7 June 1978, DNA sent a tasking letter to Field

Command DNA requiring it to function generally "in the same manner as the four
military services to provide an input to the NTPR covering the personnel of
AFSWP, and their contractors and laboratories for all atmospheric tests" (24).
William S. Isengard, the first FCNTPR Project Officer, noted that FCNTPR
was starting "several months downstream" of the other NIPR teams and that the
delay was both bad and good. The disadvantage was that FCNTPR would have "less
time" for research on Shot SMOKY and the other nuclear tests.

The advantage

was that FCNTPR could learn from the experience of the other teams (24).
2.6.2

Resources.

Field Command recognized the challenge of the NTPR tasking and acknowledged that "some of our best people," those "capable of working independently
with a minimum of day-to-day supervision," would be required.

The personnel

needed would include at least two researchers and a computer systems analyst/
programmer (24).

Beginning in 1979 and continuing to the present,

team has usually consisted of three persons, military and civilian.
following Project Officers have coordinated the team:

the FCNTPR

The

Mr. William S. Isengard,

1978; Major James E. Thomas and Major David E. Hansen, 1979; Captain Mark L.

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