Chapter 1 ~ Introduction
CONE
Toe purpose ci Part 1V ofpseAreport will be te portray the
operational aspects of the participation of Tasl: Group 7.4 in Operation
HARDTACK.
tions.
This foreword will trace the scope of Task Group 7.4 opera-
Chapter 2 will deal with the organization of Task Group 7.) and
the operational reasons for this type of organization.
Part IV will
ther be broken down into other chapters which will relate ir some de~
tail the major facets of the Task Group operation as follows:
Weather
reporting and forecasting, operation of test aircraft, aerial support
for the operation, contre] of air traffic within the Eniwetok Contrel
Area, communications and radiological responsibilities concerned with
the gathering and handling of radiological samples.
Although information was meager at the time, some very preliminary q
pianring on communications and aircraft requirements for Operatiorx
EARDTACK was started as early as October 1956.
By the time that Joint
Task Fercs SEVEN held the first planning meeting fcr Operation HARDTACK :
sn 2° February 1957, Task Group 7.4 had fairly sclid resuirements on
communications systems and on the numbers and type cf aircraft requirea
for support relies.
Additions cf project aircraft were later made after
Headquarters; Armed Forces Special Weapcens Project eopreved the protects
barticipation in Cperation HARDTACK.
Early in March, a preliminary beok message was drafted and sent t:
Headquarters, USAF fer them to publish girecting the major commands
<f
the Air Force to support ARDC, who would be designated as the Air Force
Executive Agency.
Tris directive when published on 29 April by Head-
qearters, USAF, became the official authorization which allevwed the
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