. conjunction with the cancelled ECHO test, but the "loss" of this effort croably decreased the radiological exposure of DOD personnel. 4ore disruptive to the DOD operations were the preparations to fire 2 subsequent postponements due to weather. ROMEO was scheduled on the “3th, the 15th, and the 2lst of March; on each occasion instrumentation nad to be prepared, timing devices reset, etc. ini was a radiological exclusion (radex) The fact that much of Bi- area, which required a trained ‘.dsafe monitor to accompany each working party, taxed the capabilities of ne radsafe unit. Individual projects were exposed to radiation in un- cnticipated ways. For example, Project 1.4 reports the elaborate proce- cures required to service instrumentation if the shots were delayed longer cAan 4 to 7 days (Reference 45). Such work was complicated by the fact saat it had to be done in the radioactive environment caused by BRAVO. Support instrumentation, such as Raydist slave stations used in the lositioning of experimental effects aircraft, had to be serviced and repositioned due to the effects of BRAVO and to the changing concepts of the Operation. This required the personnel. from the Armed Forces Special Weap- ons Project (AFSWP) equipment to enter radiologically contaminated areas to retrieve (Reference 90). Following BRAVO, the ships and small craft at Bikini assumed a significant increase in responsibility. The original planning called for post- shot reentry to the camps on Eneman and Eneu, but this was impossible. The change to an afloat operation at Bikini placed additional requirements on TG 7.3. While anticipated as a possibility, this was never considered probable before BRAVO (Reference 9, p. 114). The single most significant operational effect was related to the employment of ships after the detonation. All major vessels were required to remain permanently at Bikini for use as housing. Originally the USS Estes was to be stationed at Ene- wetak between detonations. The USS Bairoko had to prepare to conduct all Bikini helicopter operations from its flight deck. The Air Force helicop- ters and one L-13 were returned to Enewetak, and the responsibility of 249