tional planning of the air units assigned to it in accordance with directves of the Commander, Joint Task Force Seven, and the requirements of the Scientific Director.
During actual test periods he commanded andt or operated all aircraft operating f wm
Kwaja]ein and Eniwetok, including helicopters, except offshore patrol, On 15 March 1348,
a system of air traffic control in the Kwajalein-Eniwetok area, under the direction of the
Commander, Air Forces, was instituted by General Hull.
The Office of Air Commander was established on 12 November 1947 at staff level in
the Joint Task Force Headquarters. This office was divided into two main sections; one,
an Air Force Section, which functioned throughout the operation; and the other, a .lYaval
Section, organized to effect close relationship with Task Group 7.3 for the operation of the
Naval Air Units during actual test days, This last section was operative immediately before, during and after test days.
An analysis of the function of the Air Forces in Operation Sandstone showed that two
definite types of activity would be necessary. First, the problem of staff operations in
Headquarters Joint Task Force Seven which would be concerned with the direction of
operations as they pertained to other units of the Task Force; and second, operations in the
field. The Office of the Air Commander was designed to perform the first of these two functions, and Task Group 7.4 was established to accomplish the second. This Task Group reported to the Commander, Air Forces, Joint Task Force Seven.
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