ee
3.11.2
Eniwetok Recovery and Re-entry.
3-56
The operational phase of HARDTACK
commenced with two (2) temporary camps in operation; at Yvonne a camp wag
established in support of the Cactus event while at Janet a camp was established and operated in support of the Koa event.
The permanent base
camp for scientific operations was established at site Parry.
Personnel
having primary interest in the early Eniwetok events, particularly Cactus
and Koa, lived at the temporary camp sites.
All recovery and re-entry operations were controlled from the base
camp at Parry.
1.
The normal re-entry - recovery operation was as follows:
Requirements for re-entry - recovery operations were sutmitted by
project personnel on special cards designed specifically for this pur>
pose.
2.
After cards were edited, they were published as an annex to the
evacuation and re-entry letter which served as the Task Group operation order for the event.
3. After publishing the evacuation and re-entry letter changes were
posted to a master copy in the J~3 Office. On minus two all project
personnel who had established requirements for the event were queried
to reaffirm the requirement.
This procedure was repeated on minus
one to firm up the shot day requirements and was repeated as often as
minus one days occurred.
lh.
Initially it was decided that the Rad-Safe survey would commence
at H/3 hours with a survey of the critical recovery areas to be followed by a more detailed survey at H/5 hours to specifically delineate
the Radex areas,
However, it was determined after the first two
events that a survey time of H/l hour was more realistic and provided
a much better working period for the early recovery operations. With
the exception of Cactus and Koa, two surface bursts, radiation levels
were seldom of an intensity to prevent early recovery of critical
scientific data.
Critical recoveries were normally completed on shot
days although the radiation levels did force a delay or postponement
at times. A pre-dawn detonation favors recovery operations, and all
other factors being equal, should be sought as the optimum condition.
5.
Following the radiological survey of the contaminated areas, re-
covery teams were immediately dispatched to their respective stations
to effect recovery if the radiation dose was suitable to the individ-
ual and the stay time involved,
Several unique recovery operations were undertaken during Operation
coPiED/DOF
LAAL RG
HARDTACK.
These included the recovery of floating coracles, film packs,
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