of that Task Group and of procuring qualified replacements for the hard-pressed garrison force. Normal and emergency requisi- tions had been processed to the D/A in January and February just _after Typhoon HESTER. Only a trickle of replacements resulted, how- ever, and they were mainly in the grades of E-2 and E-3. The gen-— eral shortage of skilled and experienced personnel throughout the military Services and the high priority given to replacements for FECOM had a great bearing upon the situation. By the Summer of 1953, the condition became more favorable though the balance of the non-commissioned officers (NCO's) never even closely approached the number authorized. As a result of the spring decision of the Secretary of Defense to reduce surplus military manpower in the three Services, a joint Manpower Survey Board was appointed under the monitorship of G-l, D/A, to study JTF SEVEN with a view to establishing interimTask Force Headquarters and Task Group T/D's. Also, a manpower ceiling and uniform proportional reduction in operational T/D's was to be accomplished for each of the military Services as represented in the Task Force. The Board commenced its activities on 1 June 1953 and worked in Washington; in Los Alamos, in Albuquerque, and at Eniwetok. A report, carrying the general concurrence of CJIF SEV- EN, was forwarded to G-l for approval. New interim Task Force T/D's were thus established and though it was believed by the Task Force that they were austere they were considered workable. By the time work on the interim T/D's was completed, the per-