series, certain planning and preparation for overseas tests remained a responsibility of SFO, with control during the operational period passing to a military officer as executive agent for DOD and AEC. Thetask group charged with mission—or technical— phases of operations for both series was headed by the Director, Test Division, LASL, and was staffed by SFO laboratories and to some extent by other AEC headquarters and Operations Office personnel. Three other task groups represented the military components. A fifth is to be added for Operation Castle, providing organizationally for the support given by SFOO and contractor personnel. All continental tests have, on the other hand, been commanded by the Manager, SFOO, reflecting the very keen responsibility for safe as well as successful conduct from which the AEC could not be disassociated. The Manager in his capacity as Test Manager has been executive agent for the AEC, DOD, and other participating agencies. The Test Organization grew through several stages before it reached apparent maturity in the structure for the Spring 1953 series, many of the changes reflecting increasing military participation and support. As now organized, there are Deputy Managers for Scientific, Military, and Support Operations with clearly defined areas of responsibility. Staff Supervisory and Operating Programs As indicated previously, the major development was the physical removal of SFOO headquarters from direct handling of Los Alamos community and project support problems, with consequent development toward an operations-wide, moretruly staff type of activity. The process of defining and of refining headquarters and field office programs continued during the period. There was constant effort to separate staff (both head- quarters and field office) from “doing the job’ by withdrawal from such activity or by clearly defining operating contractor responsibility. Direct operation by SFOO was dictated in certain instances by responsibility which might not be delegated, such as that for control and custody of fissionable materials; and in other instances by security or policy controls, such as for some phases of public information which did not incorporate provision for delegation below the Operations Office. Information Control Classification and declassification had progressed measurably by mid-1950 to- ward the dual objectives of Information Control, which are strict protection of classified information while simultaneously making nonclassified information publicly avail- able. Security and Information lagged then with too much protection being given to nonclassified information (in the broad sense ofall data), During the past three years, better understanding has been achieved of the four programs’ duality of mission with better integration of attitude and effort. The result has been a sharper definition and a nar- rower total area requiring protection, permitting better protection; and the result has also been a much broader area of information not requiring the costs and effort of pro- tection and which could be made publicly available. Classification ALCO It was estimated that SFO originated each year 15, 000, 000 classified documents. More than 1, 500 formal, written decisions were made by the SFO Classification Board during the three years. SFOO Classification staffed the overseas Joint Task Forces and the Nevada Test Organization; assisted in revision of AEC-DOD, general, and critical materials classification guides; prepared a series of guides for the weapons test organizations gaining Armed Forces and AEC approval; and prepared specific guides for contractors with peculiar problems. The Nuclear Weapons Classification ey 13