PRIVACY ACT MATERIAL REMOVEDecar2 At 0830, 2 March the Task Force arrived at Eniwetok Atoll, Parry Teland4 where TG 7.1 disembarked. After a sertes of roetings, elenents of the Task Foroe reenbarked at 1730 to proceed to Bikini Atoll dn order to Commence the recovery program for B!iAVO, one team to the ESTES and The J-3 Section split into two teams, and ~ ships departed at 1800, and to the BAIROKO, The “Wednesday = 3 March 1954 USS_BATROKO CVE-115 The reduced Task Force entsred the Bikini Lagoon about 0830 and the first Rad-Safe survey flight with and departed from the BAIRO”O at 0635 for @ 2 hour survey of the entire Atoll. Up return of this flight the recovery program was reopened. The copter flishts and boat missions accomplished during the day are attached. Since most of the boats were contaminated the rajor recovery activity was accomplished by copters. In gensral all of the . required 2alssions were accomplished; however, due to the crowded conditions in the Forward Ready Room of the CVE (Rad-Safe, TC 7.3 Staff snd J~3) plus the - fact that the ship was not accustomed to handling so many "on call" missions, a great deal of confusion existed. However, this condition on the first day hed to be accepted in view of the urgency of the situation. The main cause of the confusion was the necessity of briefing all missions and processing for Rad-Safe in the Ready Room, A list of copter and boat missions is attached. * Thursday - 4 March 1954 UsS BALROKO CVE-115 As a result of the activities during the pervious day a system was establisied for more efficiunt handling of recovery rissions. The missions for tiiis day had been phoned into J-3 BAIROKO from J~-3 ESTES, This allowed the Air Dept of the CVE to plan the days activities in a more orderly manner. In addition Operations Officer, moved into the Ready Room in order to coordinate all copter missions. Therefore, once the recovery parties were processed the party leader wes brought to the Forward Ready Room. There he was paired up with the copter pilot. The J-3 Section, copter pilot and party leader then held a discussion to ensure that all the activities were understood. Once the problems were resolved, the Air Officer then order the copter readied on deck and the pilot leade the party to the copter. ‘As for the boat missions, the activities greatly increased beacause of the decont aminat‘on of boats. In the moming there was confusion because many parties wuld appear at the BAIROKO with little or no gufdance, This arain | ceused too much cmfusion in the Feady Room. Therefore, dJ~l, set up an area on the hencar deck near the gang plank where aii incoming personnel for boat missions were to be processed. At his control point he gathered the members, confirmed names and ensured each man had checked through Rad-Safe. Hho " SSCL03sSTSOF Ze;PASEFS) ee TTeia é Aye "OOK MB tg3 Cos sets ae | opine— a. wh . 760 . : 28 =i wee em me ee