Operation Plumbbob 1957
US Atomic Veterans
Fred Greaves
Fred Greaves sent email about the 1st RSSU at Operation Plumbbob.
Signed by Lt. Carl H. Distenfeld, no date.
U. S. ARMY FIRST RADIOLOGICAL SAFETY SUPPORT UNIT
In the summer of 1945 two nuclear weapons, popularly called atomic
bombs, exploded over the Japanese mainland; the war with Japan ended shortly thereafter.
In 1946 the United States conducted the first of a series of tests of nuclear weapons and devices. The earlier series of tests were conducted at Eniwetok and Bikini Atolls in the Marshall Islands (United Nations Trust Territory).
In 1951 a test area was established at Mercury, Nevada (near
Las Vegas), for the testing of smaller nuclear devices. Since 1951 the tests have been
conducted alternately at the Nevada Test Site and the Eniwetok Proving Ground, the latest
Nevada series being called OPERATION TEAPOT (1955) and latest Eniwetok series being
called OPERATION REDWING (1956).
During the tests, it is necessary to determine which
areas are radiologically contaminated, to control personnel who enter such "hot" areas, and to
maintain radiological exposure records on each individual who has entered these areas.
During the early series of tests, the Atomic Energy Commission improvised a new radiological safety organization for each series of tests, and drew safety personnel from all available sources. Later it appeared desirable to establish a more permanent radiological safety organization that would function with some continuity.
In 1952 the responsibility for radiological safety during the tests
was assigned to the military services, who, in turn, gave this responsibility to the U.S. Army
Chief Chemical Officer. To carry out this mission for OPERATION UPSHOT-KNOTHOLE in
1953, the U.W. Army Chemical Corps established a provisional organization, the 9778th
Radiological Safety Support Unit.
To provide a more permanent organization, the U.S. Army First
Radiological Safety Support Unit was activated on 1 July 1953 and was assigned to the U.S.
Army Chemical Corps Training Command, with station at Fort McClellan, Alabama.
The mission of the First Radiological Safety Support Unit is to provide radiological safety support to the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project and the Joint Task Forces for atomic test
operations. To perform this mission, the Unit is authorized 15 officers and 100 enlisted men.
The Unit is presently commanded by a nuclear effects engineer, Major Fred E. Rossell, Jr. U.S.
Army Chemical Corps.
The Unit is organized on a two-platoon system as follows:
Commanding Officer
Operations Platoon
Logistics Platoon
Monitoring Section
Instrument Repair Section
Plotting and Briefing Section
General Supply Section
Decontamination Section
Transportation Section
Dosimetry and Records Section
The First Radiological Safety Support Unit has furnished safety support for OPERATION CASTLE in 1954, OPERATION TEAPOT in 1955, and OPERATION REDWING in 1956.
The Unit is Presently undergoing training at Fort McClellan, Alabama, for participation in OPERATION PLUMBBOB in 1957.
Fred E. Rosell, Jr. Major,
U.S. Army Chemical Corps
Commanding
Fred Greaves
Nukevet@aol.com
Keith Whittle
December 19, 2001
[ Operation Plumbbob ]