CHAPTER VITT OPERATION PIUMBBOB, A NEW ORGANIZATION With the establishment of the 950th Test Group (Nuclear) at the Air Force Special Weapons Center on 1 September 1956, the 926th Test Squadron (Sampling) became a part of that group. The squadron's mission had not changed but rather dovetailed into its organization and functions, This fact was bern out during Operation PLUMBBOB, Mission 6f the 950th Test Group (Nuclear) The primary mission of the 950th Test Group (Nuclear) during Operation PLUMBBOB was ", . . to provide-limited support and control the aircraft necessary to collect and record data required bythe participating services, commands, and the Atomic Energy Commission." The test group was also responsible for: (1) Performance as the air support group for the Atomic Energy Commission test manager. (2) Assumption of operational control over all aircraft participating in test, support, and practice sorties over and in the vicinity of the Nevada Test Site during the operational phase of the test series, (3) Provision and operation of an AN/USQ-12 IFF facility in the Air Operations Center, together with its allied radio equipment, to control test and support aircraft and exercise supervisory and coordinative control of devices used for precise aircraft positioning, (4) Planning, organization, publication, and dissemination of integrated flight plans and patterns for all participating aircraft, (5) Provision of an air sampling capability to collect particulate and gaseous matter from nuclear’ detonations, 158 SWEH-2-003); a oT