was,therefore, held with the Commander of the Tost Aircraft Unit to

recommend a course of action.

A ni. radiological annex vas drafted

which gives to the Test Aircraft Unit the full responsibility for all
radiclogicel safety activities for Task Group 7.4.

This proposal vas

thought" by General Estes and the staff and published as a change tc

Operations Order 1-53.

This annex had the effec of taking the Test

Suppcrt Unit completely out of the radiological business, exseps for
furnishinz personnel for decontamination duty.

in order to keep dom

the radiation dosage on maintenance personnel of the Test Aircraft

Uris, the Test Support Uait formed fifteen teams of fifteen men each
fron all sources available in order to carry on decontaminatien arovnd
the clock,

These tcams were detailed to duty with the Test Aircraft -

Jnit as required and werked under the supervision of Cantain Ceorge
Lewis.

On the Romeo shot, which was fired on 27 March, this systen”

worked very well and all aircraft decontaminaticn was completed by the
avternoon of R+3.

Qn ll March it was decided that a re~entry teom would be sent to
Bikini Atoll to assist Holmes and Narver personnel in recovering Air
Force preperty which had been left behind at the time of the Bravo
evacuation.
M/Sgt Gomez.

The team was manned by Major Rice, Captain Bonnie. and
Upon their arrival, they found the Air Force propervy

in a condition of chaos, since the unexpectcdly great blast of Bravo
had~seriously damaged the buildings and tents in which it was housed,

19

”

Select target paragraph3