CHAPTER I . COMMAND March 1954 The Air Task Group history for the month of March started off with BRAVO Shot which was fired in the Bikini area with complete air success, All Air Force aircraft scheduled to participate in the mission completed their mission with no aborts. The details of the Air Force participation in the BRAVO mission are contained in the Operations pertion of this his~ tory. Immediately after the shot, it was indicated from the CIC aboard the USS ESTES that the OBOE airstrip at Bikini was closed indefinitely. It actually opened up again for limited operation on the 10th of March.. The contamination of the OBOE strip prevented moving personnel back into ” the control shack at that time, however, a control team including fire fighters were brought ashore prior to each aircraft landing, The control building and the hangar were severely damagad. Due to extensive fall-out which unfortunately fell a few miles south of the contemplated area, it was necessary, on the second of ‘arch, to evacuate the twenty-cight (28) Air Force personnel, in charge of the Rongerik Weather Station, to Kwajalein. The move was actually made be- tween 1400 and 1700 hours on the second of March. Since complete data on thiscontamination and subsequent corollary actions were not available during the month of March, separate documentation on this subject will be forthcoming in a later history. In order to apprise the SAC, AFSWC, and ARDC of the time contemplated for the next shot, a TWX was sent to General Leliay and General tills on the - lente eta del die eee hee 0 Fe ox Fz