—
the understanding which develops with the passage of time.
THE TIME ELEMENT
If, among the many conclusions which can be drawn from Operation
SANDSTONE, one of them can be said to be more incontestable than any
of the others from the Air Force point of view, that one has to do
with the urgent demands of time.
Although the more important dead-
lines were met throughout the operation, it was repeatedly apparent
that lesser undertakings, and particularly those which were unforeseen
at the outset, were handicapped by the shortage of time available for
their accomplishment.
It was also apparent that many opportunities
created by Operation CROSSROADS had not been followed up with the
vigor which was then indicated.
Im general, it can be said that Air
Force participation in Operation SANDSTONE was limited to air opera-
tions only. An anomalous situation exists in that the United States
fir Force is the only branch of the armed services now equipped to
‘deliver an atomic weapon to a hostile target, yet its participation
in the program of atomic research compares very unfavorably with that
of other services.
The conviction is inescapable that deficiencies in
this regard must also have been evident at the conclusion of Operation
CROSSROADS and that the subsequent effort to remedy the condition was
inadequate,
It is imperative that this problem immediately be given
the attention which it deserves and that the training of personnel
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Section VIII