movement of Task Group 7.4 to the operating area.
Most of the prior
planning for the movement had to be accomplished before the Task Group
was officially organized.
Personnel were drawn from widely scattered
bases throughout the United States and the Pacific Ocean Areas.
The
Strategic Air Command, the Air Proving Ground Comnand, the Air Transport
Command, and the Tactical Air Command were all involved in the movement,
and in addition each of these commands designated eubordinate units to
accomplish the move.
Ina letter from Headquarters, United States Air
Force, the Strategic Air Command was designated as the monitoring agency
for these movements, amd the responsibility was further delegated to the
Eighth Air Force.
The movement order prepared by the Eighth Air Force provided for
personnel to be processed for overseas movement prior to leaving their
home stations in accordance with the current POM (Preparations for Over=
seas Movement) directives.
Certiiimddifications were necessary in these
directives to adapt them to the movement of a task force of this type, and
for that reason a special POM was prepared late in November 1947.
The
aerial port of embarkation was designated as Hamilton Field, California,
and the main body of Task Group 7.4, which was to be moved by air, departed
prior to 12 February 1948.
The ground echelon of the Task Group left the
port at Oakland, California by ship on 10 February and arrived im Kwajalein
22 February 1948.
Bocuse of the fact that certain technical equipment would not be
available for the drone aircraft until late in February, a flight plen
was set up to move the air echolon of Task Unit 7.4.2 in four (4) sections
starting 10 March 1948, with the last echelon arriving at Kwajalein
Section VIII
55
ie.