PAGE 3 CA1 ADMU 8185 UNCLAS a TIONS FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THEREFORE PALUMBO HAD DECIDED TO | DEPART ENIWETOK AS SOON AS NECESSARY EQUIPMENT COULD BE PUT ABOARD. DESTINATION BIKINI VIA KWAJALEIN. / H. MARINE RESOURCES AT ENIWETOK WERE LESS THAN 5@ PERCENT OPERATIONAL. I. HELICOPTER SUPPORT IF DEPLOYED TO ENIWETOK AS PLANNED WOULD IMPOSE AN ADDITIONAL POPULATION LOAD OF THIRTY WITH A POSSIBLE SURGE TO THIRTY-EIGHT PERSONNEL. 2. MY DECISION WAS TO WITHDRAW FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD WHICH MIGKT BE ONE OR TWO WEEKS (THEN BELIEVED MINIMUM) AND COULD BE MUCH LONGER. I DIRECTED THAT EQUIPMENT THEREFORE BE STOWED IN CONDITION TO WITHSTAND TWO MONTHS OF DISUSE AND ANY WHICH COULD NOT BE SO STOWED BE RETURNED TO KwAJ FOR PROBABLE RETURN CONUS. FROM YOUR CONVERSATION I SENSE THAT THIS DIRECTION HAS BEEN INTERPRETED AS AN ARBITRARY LONG TERM STAND DOWN. 3. UPON MY RETURN TO KWAJALEIN I IMMEDIATELY INITIATED ACTIONS IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAINTAIN OUR MOMENTUM AND ASSURE OUR UTILIZATION OF THE NOW COMMITTED HELICOPTER SUPPORT. TO THAT END I HAVE DISCUSSED SEVERAL ALTERNATIVES WITH FIRST MARINE AIR WING (JAPAN) AND MARINE. AIR GROUP 36 (OKINAWA), THE SOURCE OF OUR SUPPORT. I HAVE ALSO OBTAINED AGREEMENT FROM KMR TO SUPPORT I001164