Page:Operation Crossroads 1946.pdf/50

 RADIOLOGICAL SAFETY RESPONSIBILITY AND ORGANIZATION

Although the Manhattan Engineer District had taken responsibility for radiological safety at CROSSROADS, the District's role actually consisted of providing radsafe equipment and senior radsafe personnel. CJTF 1 was in command at Bikini and major radsafe orders were issued in his name. A Radiological Safety Section was established to advise CJTF 1 in this area and to implement his orders. Its chief was also CJTF 1's Radiological Safety Advisor. During test operations the section operated directly under the JTF 1 Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations. For the purposes of technical advice and instrumentation, the Radiological Safety Section reported to the Technical Director. This dual chain of command caused no difficulty during CROSSROADS (Reference C.9.206, p. VII-(C)-2).

The mission of the Radiological Safety Section was (Reference B.0.1, p. E-II-1):


 * ...to protect personnel from the hazards peculiar to the use of the atomic bomb during Operation CROSSROADS and to enable personnel to return safely to the target area at the earliest possible moment.

The task force operation plan specified the following elements for the Radiological Safety Section (Reference B.0.1, p. E-II-1):


 * 1. Radiological Safety Control Unit


 * 2. Radiological Safety Advisory Board


 * 3. Radiological Safety Reconnaissance Units


 * 4. Radiological Safety Monitor-Advisors


 * 5. Radiological Safety Technical Service Units.

Documents written during CROSSROADS provide additional details on the section's organization. Figure 12 gives a composite picture based on information from the available sources.

The section chief, his staff, and supporting personnel, such as clerks and radiomen, made up the Radiological Safety Control Unit, based aboard USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7), the task force flagship. They were to (1) receive, plot, and analyze radiological data from all sources, (2) control the radsafe reconnaissance units, and (3) advise CJTF 1 on the location and amount of radioactivity. They were also to predict the path of the radioactive cloud and the pool of radioactive water.

The Committee for Review of Radiological Safety Measures functioned during most of its existence at Bikini under the title of Medico-Legal Board. It was convened on 15 June 1946 by the chief of the Radsafe Section, after which it met irregularly at his call or when one or more of its members felt a matter required its attention. Initially, it served to evaluate the regulations and safety measures adopted to protect personnel from radiological hazards. Later the board initiated a number of investigations, believing itself warranted in defining its own field of action. A total of 14 men served on the board at one time or another. All were medical doctors, specializing in radiology or with

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