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 62 Cx)