PFC Ronald J. Talbott, enlisted in the Army Reserves in 1956 and went to basic training and graduated from MP school at Fort Gordon, Georgia. He was required to perform two years of active duty and his first duty assignment was at Sandia Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They wore the 4th U.S. Army patch and their duties consisted of routine MP line duty, town patrol etc. It has been some time and he can not recall if they were called the 1st Provisional MP Company at that time.

        In early January 1958 they received orders (includes roster of personnel) for deployment Page-1 Page-2 and left Sandia Base and were sent to the Marshall Islands, Eniwetok Atoll, Pacific Proving Grounds. The deployment was classified as Top Secret, and involved 58 enlisted personnel, forty-two from A Company, sixteen from B Company, under Special Orders #14, authorized by letter through the Armed Forces Special Weapons Program on 9 January, and issued 21 January 1958.

        At Eniwetok Atoll they were deployed under Operation HARDTACK-I, and performed base enforcement and security enforcement for all military and civilian personnel assigned to the top secret weapons testing. As Ron recalls there were mostly civilian personnel assigned at the base. He has no photographs because cameras were not allowed.

        From 28 April through 18 August during the deployment there were thirty-five atomic tests during Operation HARDTACK-I. Of the thirty-five, a total of twenty-three were conducted at Eniwetok Atoll or in nearby waters. One was a safety test with no explosions and one was a dud. The test that were successfull were conducted as high altitude air burst, surface, barge, and underwater bursts. The test names were taken from North American trees and shrubs. They ranged in power from Test FIG .02 Kilotons, ( 1 kiloton equals 1000 tons of TNT) to Test OAK 9.3 Megatons (1 megaton equals 1 million tons of TNT).

        At the end of their deployment the entire group of junior enlisted personnel returned to the 720th MP Battalion at Fort Hood where throughout the next three weeks they were processed for discharge.

Eniwetok Certificate

Certificate of Participation      Letter of Commendation      Letter of Appreciation

        Although Rons memory has faded as to all the specifics, the orders, of which I have copies, clearly identify the MP’s as being reassigned from A & B Company, command unknown to the 1st Provisional MP Company, 720th MP Battalion, Task Group 7.2, Joint Task Force Seven, APO 437, San Francisco, California. The same headquarters issued him a letter or appreciation, letter of commendation, and certificate of participation. The entire company upon completion of the deployment were returned to the 720th MP Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas where they spent three weeks processing out for discharge from active duty.

        If any of you know of any former members of the 1st Provisional MP Company, Sandia Base, New Mexico, 1958, please contact the History Project Manager via the Email Link at the top of this page.