Starbird joined the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Paris when it was formed in 1951 . He then returned to Washington , D.C. , for a two-year tour in the Office of the Chief of Engineers . He was promoted to brigadier general in 1955 . From 1955 to 1961 , he was Director of Military Applications of the Atomic Energy Commission . At this time , great technical progress was being made in nuclear weapons technology , and atomic bombs and hydrogen bombs were coming into service in large numbers . He wrote voluminous reports on complex , technical issues . He advised the Atomic Energy Commission on nuclear disarmament issues , and a proposed moratorium on nuclear testing , and warned the Commission about the amount of fallout that could be expected from the Operation Hardtack I nuclear tests , and recommended the use of underground nuclear weapons testing
Operation Hardtack I
Operation Hardtack I
Alfred Starbird