Furn ins: 6594th RCG 

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8 June 1966 

MEMORANDUM FOR DR. FLAX 

SUBJECT: Transfer of Space Vehicle Recovery lVIissiou 

to Air Rescue Service 

Problem: 

The Air Staff is studying the desirability of consolidating all 

rescue and recO\~ery activities in a single com1nand. This means that 

the 6594th Recovery Control Group could be transferred out of the Air 

Force Syste1ns Command. 

Background:. 

In May 1961, AFOS 3 / 9 11Long Range Objectives of the Air Rescue 

Service, '

1 was approved and signed by the Chief of Staff. This ARS 

objective was implemented by AFR 20-54, October 17. 1961, which 

assigned to the Air Rescue Service the mission to search for and re .. 

cover personnel and aerospace hardware. This assignment included 

research and development associated activities (Tab A). 

V../e became aware of this 1natter in June 1962 when the Air Staff 

prepared transfer documents which proposed the assignment of the 

6594th Recovery Control Group to MATS. At that time the DNRO --

Dr. Charyk -- deferred the transfer of the 6594th by oral agreement 

with the Vice Chief of Staff. 

A second attempt to transfer the 6594th RCG was made in the 

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Staff on October 18, 1963 (Tab B), which resulted in the cancellation 

of the transfer. 

We became aware of a third transfer attempt in March 1965. 

heavy majority of the Air Staff sponsored this effort for six months • 

. HANDlf YM B COi\ll'~m ~nrrn 

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Generals Schriever and Ferguson opposed the action from the start; 

when General Friedman joined their ranks in September the matter 

was shelved. 

Present Status: 

The Air Staff is again studying the transfer of all "aerospace 

rescue and recovery activities n in the light of 11the fact that five major 

commands are engaged in recovery activities 11 (Tab C). The 6594th 

RCG is the major activity to be reviewed. We view this study with 

concern because the transfer of the 6594th would cause us serious, 

problems. 

1. it would seriously weaken the command and security control 

which you presently exercise over the recovery force required to 

support NRP activities. (General Martin, in wearing his second hat 

- - "Deputy Commander for Satellite Programs 11 - - exercises actual 

operational control over the force whenever it is recovering an NRP 

capsule.) 

2. The perennial argument that ARS could do a. better job of 

"m.anaging 11 the recovery operation is not valid because aircraft 

operations are only part of the integrated recovery activity. NRO 

operations involve directing Navy activities (personnel and surface 

ships), Air Weather Service, Air Rescue Service; Satellite Control 

Facility, and 6594th RCG activities. 

3. Loss of 6594th RCG resources would also rnean that the 

Director .. Program A would lose control over the technical configuration of t...he recovery aircraft. 

We have managed to forestall this matter to date; however, sine• 

programming documents still rnention the eventual (future) transfer of 

___ the 6594th to_Hth~_ARS.L_JJ:i,~jssue is coming _gpJor automatic z:~::-st!ldY __ _ 

every year. During a recent visit to Headquarters SSD and the AFSC, 

General McConnell reportedly reviewed the activities and role of the 

6594th RCG and indicated to Generals Schriever and Funk that he had 

made a decision to leave the 6594th assigned to AFSC for the foreseeable future. Since the Chief of Staff has made this decision, it woul 

seem reasonable to change USAF programming documents by deleting 

references to a transfer of the 6594th. 

HANDLE VIA B 

CONTROl SYSTEM 

2 

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Recommendation: 

The attached rnemorandurn requests the Chief of Staff to change 

USAF programming documents by deleting a proposed future transfer 

of the 6594th RCG to the Air Rescue Service. I recommend that you 

sign the n1er.aorandum. 

3 

RICHARDS. QUIGGINS 

Lt Colonel$ USAF 

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Approved for Release: 2017 /01 /25 C05096185 

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Lt Col Quiggins/me/8 Jun 66 

MEMORANDUM FOR THE CHIEF OF STAFF» USAF 

SUBJECT: Space Recovery Responsibility 

I have been informed that transfer of the 5594th Hecavery Control 

Group from AFSC to IV!AC (Air Rescue Service) is again_being studied 

by the Air Staff (AFXSASC}. This proposal has been submitted each 

year since 1961 when AFOS 3/ 9 "Long Range Objectives of the Air 

Rescue Service lf (implemented by AFR 20 ... 54) was approved.. The proposal has also been reflected in Air Force prQgra:mming documents. 

since that date. 

For reasons which you know, th.is proposal poses a serious problem for the National B.ecnnnaissance Office. I do not anticipate that the 

mission or responsibilities af the 6594th RCG will change signifiea.ntly 

in the f oreaeeable future, and believe that the Air Force and the Natiom 

Reconnaissance· Office would have very little to gain by further studies. 

I would appreciate it if the Air Staff study group were instructed to 

eliminate the 6594th RCG fro.1.n its Aerospace Rescue and Recovery 

Activities Study and the transfer proposal were deleted from USAF pro~ 

gramming docu:ments. 

U' either of these requests raises any serious problems for you, 

I will be glad to discuss them further. 

------------------DiS1rT5-Ufion:--- ··--- -- ··- --- - ··· -· - --- - -----m:ex~-rr.--Flax 

Addressee Director 

SS-5 

SS-1 

RF 

IAB.Bli VIA B 

CONTROL SYSTEM 

NOT SENT 

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