ARO AWROVED FOR 

RE:EASS-1 ILLLY 2015 

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE 

WASHINGTON 

OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY 

November 24, 1965 

MEMORANDUM FOR DR. FLAX 

SUBJECT: MOL Management 

Reference is made to General Martin's letter of November 

12 on the above subject (Tab A) and a copy of a proposed 

message to General. Martin and General Berg from you and General 

Schriever. 

I believe we need settle the MOL management procedures 

(Washington area), relationships of the Director, MOL, to 

SAFSP, and NRO Staff participation in the MOL Program Office 

at an early date. 

As I recall the situation, you essentially agreed to the 

issuance of all program direction to both SSD and SAFSP by the 

Director, MOL (provided the direction to SAFSP had your prior 

concurrence). These procedures have not yet been issued in 

an official document. This should be a "two-way street," with 

most information, requests, etc. from SAFSP flowing up through.. 

the Director, MOL. It appears, from his memo, that General 

Martin does not agree with this concept and only wants to deal 

directly with you or the NRO Staff. 

As far as the NRO Staff is concerned, I have previously 

agreed with General Evans to follow the Martin-Berg arrangement 

on the West Coast and co-locate my MOL payload project officer. 

in General Evans' office. I know General Martin agrees with 

the concept; however, in contrast to the proposed message 

(Tab B), General Martin believes the NRO Staff should "own" 

everyone in the MOL Washington Office (with the exceptions, 

guess, of Generals Schriever and Evans) connected with MOL 

reconnaissance aspects. 

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I- unctions: MOL 

Functions: N140 Staff 
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Frankly, it makes no difference to me whether one or 

three-four SAFSS people are assigned to the MOL Office; I 

would still co-locate them with General Evans and have them 

be responsive to his day to day direction (reserving proper 

NRO decisions for you and keeping me thoroughly informed). 

I believe all MOL program direction (worthy of being set 

forth in written correspondence or messages) should be issued 

by the MOL Project Director, requiring, however, that all 

direction to General Martin have your concurrence (or Mr. 

Reber or me, for you). At the same time, the flow of information upward should go through the same channels. Since it is 

almost impossible to define the kinds of direction which could 

go direct, it appears that we must establish a concept of "all 

direction" through the MOL Program Director. Telephone guidance 

and direction of any significance from you to General Martin 

should subsequently be confirmed in writing through the Director, 

MOL. 

As far as the Staff is concerned, I am content to provide 

one man or several to the MOL Office. If you share General 

Martin's concern, then two or three of General Evans' people 

(Colonel Norman, Colonel Copely, Major Haas) should be assigned 

to the NRO Staff and detailed full-time, along with another 

SAFSS project officer, to the MOL Office. This proposition 

might horrify General Evans; however, I assure you it would 

not alter their working relationships with him, or lessen any 

other support by the NRO Staff. Further, I should be constrained from tasking these people for anything other than 

MOL matters. 

General Evans and I should discuss this overall subject 

with you ASAP. 

S T. STEWART 

igadier General, USAF 

irector, NRO. Staff 

cc: General Evans 

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