aaa The nission of Task Group 7.h, Provisicral, was to provide and operate certain aircraft and to provide westher and other s-rvices in support of Joint Task Force SEVEN during Operation HARDTACK in the spring and summer of 195€. The Group reached a peak strength of 2262. Although the Group manned some sixteen different orerating sites, the bulk of the people served on FRFD Island at Eniwetok Atoll. Some thirty-seven (37) Navy personnel served in Task Group 7.4, Provisional. All of the remaining people were members of the United States Air Force, Planning for the participation of Task Group 7.4, Provisional, in On+ration HARDTACK began within the Air Force Special Weapons Center at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico early in 1957. In October of that year the Task Sroup and its operating Elements were formally established. Task Group personnel began moving into the Forward Area in December and con- tinued at an ever increasing rate until 15 March 1958 when the Task Group Hsdquarters and all its Units and Elements became operational in the Eniwctok Proving Grounds (EPG). During the five months that the Task Group participated in sustained support of HARDTACK, its flying and technical elements participated in 35 nuclear test events. Of these, 11 took place at Bikini, 22 at Eniwetok, dae oe and 2 at Johnston Island. . On four occasions it was necessary for the Group to participate in two events on the same day. In all, the test effects and sampler aircraft of the Test Aircraft Unit flew 257 sorties and 1982hours in direct support of nuclear test operations. The Group provided weather reporting, weather reconnaissance, and weethsr forecasting services to Joint Task Force SEVEN, Weather reporting te nee oe ee Stations were set up on eight islands ranging in distance from one hundred to sicht hvndred miles distance from Eniwetok, Bl es “2 Weather reconnaissance