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Russell C. Coile
designed to drop nuclear bombs. Actually, the Navy had
decided later that it was not really satisfactory as a carrier-
based bomber and had converted them to reconnaissance.
Apparently it was a diffi cult aircraft to land on a carrier,
especially in bad weather. The optimum landing speed was
about 150 knots. This was critical because if the approach speed
was 140 knots the plane might stall and crash. However if
the approach speed was above 160 knots, the plane's tailhook
might break off and the plane would crash into the ocean.
His last job before he retired was being the Director of the
National Reconnaissance Offi ce which was in charge of all the
American satellites over-fl ying the Soviet Union.
The US Army had established its Combat Development
Experimentation Center at Fort Ord about 1960. The Army
gave a contract to the Stanford Research Institute in Palo
Alto to provide about 100 civilian engineers, statisticians,
physicists, and computer experts at Fort Ord and Fort Hunter
Liggett. Their mission was to design tests, collect data, analyze
the data to see what the statistics indicated, and prepare a
draft of the fi nal report on each test. After three years the
Army had to issue a request for proposals on a new contract.
A company named BDM of McLean, Virginia submitted a
proposal which was much cheaper than the SRI proposal,
and therefore as low bidder was awarded the contract. Three
years later, several other companies underbid BDM and the
contract was awarded to the low bidder, a company named
Planning Research Corporation.
There were fi ve different generals assigned to CDEC during
before 1983. BG G.L Brookshire was the last general offi cer
from 15 June, 1981 to 23 March, 1983. The Army which had
5000 troops assigned to CDEC in 1973 had gradually reduced
the number of troops to a level below which a general would
be required to command. Therefore Dr. Marion R. Bryson, a
civilian was appointed Director of CDEC on 23 March, 1983.
The Army gave a three year contract on 1 October 1982 to
the Planning Research Corporation, McLean Virginia. The $10
million annual contract called for approximately 200 personnel