PLANS AND PLANNERS 



To direct the extensive air activities of the Opera- 

 tion, Major General W. E. Kepner of the Army Air 

 Forces was brought in. His broad experience included 

 service in the Marine Corps and Army Infantry in 

 World War I, participation in the development of the 

 use of lighter-than-air craft at Lakehurst, N. J., and 

 several important Army Air Forces commands in 

 World War II. As Deputy Task Force Commander 

 for Aviation, General Kepner 's responsibility extended 

 to Navy air operations as well as Army air operations. 

 It included planning, organizing, and directing the 

 operations. The many novel problems he faced are 

 described in a later chapter. 



When it became clear that the Army Ground Forces 

 also had a stake in the Tests, a Ground Forces' Ad- 

 viser was designated: Major General A. C. McAuliffe. 

 His duty was to advise the Task Force Commander on 

 the planning, organizing, and execution of the Ground 

 Forces' program, including exposure of a wide variety 

 of Army equipment to the explosions. 



To handle the enormous quantity of problems aris- 

 ing as to personnel, public relations, military security, 

 ship movements, communications, and supply, a Joint 

 Task Force operational and administrative staff was 

 assembled under Commodore J. A. Snackenberg, Chief 

 of Staff. Of his four principal assistants, two were 

 drawn from Army and two from Navy. They were : 

 Captain Robert Brodie, Jr. (Navy), Assistant Chief 

 of Staff for Personnel ; Brigadier General (now 



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