Operation REDWING

Note: For information related to claims, call the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) at 800-827-1000 or 

the Department of Justice (DOJ) at 800-729-7327. For all other information, call the Nuclear Test 

Personnel Review (NTPR) Program at 800-462-3683.

Operation REDWING was a 17-detonation atmospheric nuclear test series (see table) conducted at the Atomic 

Energy Commission’s (AEC) Pacific Proving Ground (PPG) from May 5 to August 6, 1956. The PPG consisted 

principally of Enewetak and Bikini Atolls in the northwestern Marshall Islands in the central Pacific Ocean.

Historical Background

The REDWING series was held primarily to test high-yield thermonuclear devices that could not be tested in 

Nevada. The development and testing of these devices, which generate their explosive power through the 

fusion or joining of hydrogen atoms, began in 1950 and had advanced to the stage that one of these devices 

was dropped from a B-52 bomber in REDWING. This test drop, although of some scientific interest, was 

probably more a demonstration to the world of the deliverability of these weapons than an experiment. The 

drop was witnessed by a group of U.S. newsmen, the first such group invited to view a Pacific nuclear test 

since 1946.

The devices were tested at the PPG by a joint military and civilian organization designated Joint Task Force 7. 

This was a military organization in form, but it was populated by military personnel, Federal civilian employees, 

and contractor personnel of the Department of Defense (DOD) and the AEC. The commander of this force 

was the appointed representative of the AEC and reported also to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the 

Commander-in-Chief, Pacific. The peak DOD numerical strength of REDWING was approximately 15,400, 

primarily military service personnel. In addition, several thousand men from the AEC and its contractors, a few

personnel from other government agencies, and some foreign observers were present.

Numerous technical demonstrations were carried out in conjunction with each of the 17 detonations. These 

demonstrations measured the yield and efficiency of the devices and attempted to gauge the military effects of 

the explosions. DOD personnel participated in this test operation as individuals whose duty stations were at 

the AEC design laboratories, as units performing separate demonstrations, and as units performing various 

support roles. The REDWING operations placed most of the Navy support group at Bikini, where its ships 

provided living space for personnel who were evacuated from the islands before each test.
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Summary of Operation REDWING Nuclear Weapons Tests (1956)a

Shot Local Date 

(1956) Location Burst Type Yieldb

Kilotons Megatons

LACROSSE May 5 Enewetak Surface 40

CHEROKEE May 21 Bikini Airdrop 3.8

ZUNI May 28 Bikini Surface 3.5

YUMA May 28 Enewetak Tower 0.190

ERIE May 31 Enewetak Tower 14.9

SEMINOLE Jun 6 Enewetak Surface 13.7

FLATHEAD Jun 12 Bikini Barge 365

BLACKFOOT June 12 Enewetak Tower 8

KICKAPOO Jun 14 Enewetak Tower 1.49

OSAGE Jun 16 Enewetak Airdrop 1.7

INCA Jun 22 Enewetak Tower 15.2

DAKOTA Jun 26 Bikini Barge 1.1

MOHAWK Jul 3 Enewetak Tower 360

APACHE Jul 9 Enewetak Barge 1.85

NAVAJO Jul 11 Bikini Barge 4.5

TEWA Jul 21 Bikini Barge 5

HURON Jul 22 Enewetak Barge 250

a Source: United States Nuclear Tests, July 1945 through September 1992, DOE/NV-209 (Rev. 15), Dec 2000.

b One kiloton equals the approximate energy release of one thousand tons of TNT; one megaton equals the approximate 

energy release of one million tons of TNT.

Radiation Protection Standards

An extensive radiological safety program was instituted with the following objectives:

1. Maintenance of personnel radiation exposure at the lowest possible level consistent with medical 

knowledge of radiation effects and the importance of the test series.

2. Avoidance of inadvertent contamination of populated islands and transient shipping.

The program established an organization to provide radiological safety expertise and services to the separate 

components of the task force who were responsible for personnel safety within their commands. Personnel 

were trained in radiological safety and standards governing maximum permissible exposures were established. 

The exposure limit was set at 3.9 Roentgens (R) for the series. Film badges were provided for all of the 

participating personnel. Personnel likely to be exposed to radiation were often provided with additional badges 

for more complete monitoring of exposure. A special maximum permissible exposure of 20 R gamma was 

authorized for the operational period for aircrews, maintenance crews, and recovery crews associated with airsampling aircraft.
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An extensive weather forecasting group was established to predict wind directions and areas of potential 

fallout. Personnel were evacuated from danger areas prior to each detonation, and reentry to radioactive 

areas was restricted to personnel required to retrieve important data.

Radiation Doses at Operation REDWING

The average dose to DOD participants at REDWING was approximately 1.3 rem∗

; over 96 percent of the 

participants received doses less than 5 rem. The highest doses were recorded by Air Force flight officers who 

flew nuclear cloud-sampling missions. The recorded REDWING doses (including DOD civilians) are depicted 

below.

For more information, see the report “Operation REDWING 1956” (DNA 6037F), available online at

http://www.dtra.mil/DTRA-Mission/Reference-Documents/NTPR-info/.

September 2021

 ∗ A rem is a radiation protection unit of measure that quantifies the risk of biological effects resulting from exposure to 

ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation is any radiation (gamma, x-ray, beta, neutron, or alpha) capable of displacing 

electrons from atoms or molecules, thereby producing ions. According to the National Council on Radiation Protection 

and Measurements (NCRP, Report No. 160, Table 1.1), the general U.S. population receives about 0.62 rem per year

from natural background radiation sources (radon, cosmic rays, and rocks) and man-made radiation sources (medical 

diagnostic x-rays and consumer products). As a basis of comparison, a standard diagnostic chest x-ray delivers a 

radiation dose of about 0.02 rem.