aa STATEMENT OF DR. DAPOL K. FROLAN, SCIENTIFIC DIRSCICN, JOINT TASK FORCE SEVEN, AT PRESS CONFERUNCE, RESDAUARTENS, USAEP4C, FORT SHAFTER, T.H, General Hull and Captain Russel have outiined the historical background leading up to the 1948 program of atomic weapon tests and the organization of the Task Force which was formed to carry out the program. Although the tests were conducted by a combined military and civilian’ tean, Joint Task Force Seven is a military organization with a great majority of . ie its personnel from the Arswed Forces. However, the spirit of cooperation which existed between the military and civilian personnel resulted in the smoothest" nossible operation. Throughout the whole life of the Joint Task Force, there has not been a single ineident which impeded eny test or measurerent end which arose from the rather great differences betwee Tah military and civilian philosophies and methods of cpervtion, The nixing was really very intinate; for example, most of the technical sections were staffed with both civiliens and members of the Armed Forces Szccial Neepons Project. A year ago, I would not have believed sucn a pleasant and successful working relationship could be achieved, end I wileve now that it resulted in this case from the broad understanding and wisdom of Generel Hull. He has MD wy D > ezrrying out technical operations and rents was vart of the Task Group co;mmanded by ssell eiso represented the Atomic Energy Commis-— is wide ond irtimate knowledge of the organd technical work of the Conmission, and of military “8 3 Le set a standard for ail future inteerst:d projects involving the Armed Forces and civilion groups, To havo: been 9 ramber of his organizetion has been a most pieasant experience for xe personalir, and I believe for ell the civiliens of the T:sk Force, ly neval end cir onsrations - made it possible for usto do the job recuired. Since the beginnin= of this project, Captain Russell and I heve worked very closely tozether, We have even shared the same room for the nast three months, We are now nearing the end of one of those rare exneriences which someone as lucky as I sometimes finds and which marks a highlight in one's life, Ths Deputy Commanders of the Tus Tusk Force, Major Guneral W. E. Kepner, USAF, and Rear Austral W. S, P.rsens, Cn USN, were of grest assistance throughout the opsrations. Generel Kepner's intimate knowledge of so many a phases of sir operetions contributed directly to th: success of our more important experiments, and Adsiral Parsons! wide experienee and understanding in the field of military arplicztions of steric enerey were of the greatest value. The te ogram just completed st the Eniw-tok Proving Groun a involved a s+ gs of nuclesr explosions, c2arricd out under conditions BY as close to laboratory control as we could ineke them, and with very extensive instrumenteticn. “3