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Operation Plan
Planning Directive 3-56 was the primary planning guide for Operation
PLUMBBOB activities until 1 April 1957, when the 950th Test Group (Nuclear)
published Operation Plan 1-57,

This plan described the Air Support Group--

the 950th's forward echelon at Indian Springs--as having an operational
headquarters and two major operational units.

The two operational units

were the Test Aircraft Unit andthe 935th Air Base Squadron, which
operated Indian Springs Air Force Base,

A third operational unit was

provided by the 900th Air Base Group at Kirtland,

This latter unit

provided courier and shuttle service between Kirtland and Indian Springs.
The Planning Directive gave the Test Aircraft Unit responsibility
for test operational flying activities, particularly (1) test crew briefing,
(2) control of sampler and cloud tracker aircraft, (3)

weather reconnaissance flights, (4)

radiological and

providing some maintenance facilities

at Indian Springs, and (5) coordinating takeoff and landing schedules,
The 935th Air Base Squadron, commanded by MajorHarry EB. Elmendorf,
was responsible for (1) housing, messing, and some administrative and
logistic support for aircraft and crews staging from Indian Springs Air

Force Base, (2)

security and controls and identification procedures for

Indian Springs, (3) operation of a dispatching office, refueling facilities,
and crash fire fighting in the Nevada Test Site area, and (5) operating
an airlift between Indian Springs and the Yucca Lake airstrip.

Operation

Plan also outlined Operation PLUMBBOB procedures and policies for personnel
and administration functions, operations (including aircraft participation,
flying safety, and support aircraft procedures), air,control, commnications,

16h

SWEH-2-003),

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