In WET, the authorized strength increased from 86 to 101 by the end of
Dec. 1960 with the assignments climbing from 98 to 104 actual personnel.
This
is an example where Vela Unform did have an impact on assisting in keeping some
test on board during the moratorium.
A Vela Uniform Program and Coordination
Office was established in Sept. and, for program 800 (Marshmallow) 12 month
readiness is now expected in May 61 and a number of technical plans have been
received and things are proceeding adequately it is felt.
Within Vela Uniform,
"The technical program for Orchid has been developed to a 10 week readiness status."
Note that clearly a large portion of the groups activities are with preparing
final reports on the various technical projects and overall results of various
nuclear events from the past with still several dozen technical reports being
written covering all the way back through Operation Redwing in some cases and are
now active.
There are so many little activities reported in progress supporting
Vela Uniform that I get the feeling it is kind of a matter of “it ain't much, but
it is all they have to do."
Funding for Field Command for this program for FY 61
is 4.3 million dollars of which about 2.1 has been committed half way through the
year.
Note that the head of the Vela Uniform office within WET is Lt. Col. J. R.
Barton of the Air Force.
The following notes cover the first half of Calendar year 61.
Within WET, a fair amount of activity continued in the Vela Uniform program
and program 800 was brought to a 12 month readiness status.
group remained about the same,
The strength of this