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SECTION
Y
PERSONNEL
Personnel, the elemental factor in any organization, was of immediate urgency during
the formative stage of Joint Task Force Seven. It continued to be a matter of major concern until the Task Force was inactivated.
Planning for personnel, establishing the sources of procurement and initiating procurement began shortly after General Hull’s arrival in Washington on 25 September. On 3
October Lt. Col. Peter Schmick, USA, who had been designated J-1, set about formation of
the personnel unit of the Task Force Stafl. By 29 October this section was complete with
representatives from all the Armed Services.
As in other phases of the operation, existing permanent organizations and facilities
were called upon to aid in implementing the personnel and administration plan. Under this
plan the Army Task Group, TG 7.2, was attached to USARPAC for personnel administration. Likewise, the Naval Task Group, TG 7.3, was attached to CinCPac, and the Air Task
Group, TG 7.4, was attached to the Pacific Air Command. Other units of the Task Force
were similarly attached to permanent organizations. This arrangement served in the interest both of economy and efficiency. It relieved the Joint Task Force of many personnel
and administrative problems peculiar to each Service. It also placed personnel procedures
in the hands of those most familiar with them. As a result, it was possible for the Task
Force to function with a small personnel section.
In general, the personnel procurement program fell into three phases. First of these
three phases was the pianning of personnel requirements. Secondly, the source of procurement had to be determined and requests submitted to the proper agency—Army, Navy, or
.Air, and in some cases non-service agencies, uch as the Public Health Service and the Coast
and Geodetic Survey. The third phase in the procurement program was follow-up on requests, initiation of additional requests, selection of personnel, arrangement for special
examinations and security clearances, provision for replacements who were lost to the Task
Force because of security considerations, illnesses and other reasons and follow-up checks
to assure
arrival
of personnel
at the proper destination
as scheduled.
Security restrictions imposed by the nature of the operation constantly harrassed the
procurement program. It was sometimes difficult to obtain the services of the competent
and specialized personnel required when adequate explanation of the job to be done was not
possible. For the same reason, the issuance of movement orders was, complicated. Destination could be included in orders only in such general terms as “Hawaii and~or other Pacific
Ocean areas.” Secret orders were not used because of the danger of security “leaks.” This
difficulty was removed when some aspects of the operation was downgraded in classifi~tion on 20 December 1947, permitting issuance of orders classified “Restricted.” Prior to
that time one of the solutions arrived at was to write “Secret” orders and issue “Restricted”
extracts authorizing air travel west of Hawaii with destination shown as Kwajalein, a normal terminal for the Air Transport Command and the Naval Air Transport Service. Other
variations of this kind were used to preserve security and yet provide normal assurance
that individuals would arrive at the proper destination.
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