wem’”stantially approved the recommendations of the MLC as
The Joint Staff Pk
memorandum
and recommended that the Joint Chiefs of
contained in General Br
Staff authorize the formation of a joint organization to provide Armed Forces participation in the proof-testing operation.~ It was further recommended that a commander of the
Joint organization be designated and that a deputy from each of the other components of
the Armed Forces be designated, these three to serve as a Joint Proof-Test Committee
pending the actual formation of the joint task organization. It was also provided that this
committee have two ex-officio members, one to be appointed by the Military Liaison Committee to the AEC and the other by the Atomic Energy Commission. Approval of the secur;+’-policy previously enunciated by the A13C was recommended. The Joint Chiefs of Staff
approved this paper on 10 September.
JOINT PROOF-TEST COMMITTEE FORMED
The Joint Chiefs of Staff on 17 September nominated Lieutenant General John E. Hull,
Major General William E. Kepner, and Rear Admiral William S. Parsons to serve as the
Joint Proof-Test Committee pending organization of the Joint Task Force. Shortly thereafter Captain James S. Russell, USN, was designated by the AEC as its representative on
the Joint Proof-Test Committee and Colonel John H. Hinds, USA, was designated as the
MLC representative.
Meantime, General Eisenhower, on 17 September had advised General Hull at his
Headquarters at Fort Shafter, to report to Washington not later than 27 September for
preliminary discussion of the project.
It was now abundantly clear to all concerned that time was to be a controlling factor in
every aspect of the operation. This urgency stemmed from the pressing necessity to conduct
full scale experiments in the AEC’S weapons program in order to permit the weapons program to progress in step with theoretical developments. Consequently, an early test date,
15 April 1948, had been decided upon. When General Hull arrived in Washington on 25
September, he was immediately engaged in a two-fold task. First, there was the necessity
to become completely conversant with the nature and details of the projected operation. At
the same time there was the pressing problem of immediate procurement of key personnel,
developing preliminary plans, and securing approval of these plans so that the necessary
operations could proceed.
On 30 September General Hull was formally notified of his designation as Commander
of the Joint Task Organization. General Kepner and Admiral Parsons were designated as
Deputy Commanders at the same time. This was the same day that Brigadier General
Claude B. Ferenbaugh reported for duty as Chief of Staff of the joint organization, a typical illustration of the telescopic type of procedure that the pressure of time had forced
upon General Hull and the Joint Proof-Test Committee. It was necessary to proceed with
the procurement of a staff for the Joint Force prior to the time the organization existed,
even on paper. This staff actually functioned as the staff of a Joint Force and prepared
the basic plan of operation and organization which General Hull presented to the Joint
Chiefs of Staff for the Joint Proof-Test Committee on 15 October 1947.6 It was approved
on 18 October. This, then, was the activation date of Joint Task Force Switchman (code
4 JCS 1795 series,
s .JCS 1795/6.
6
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