UFO awareness grows in defense, intel communities

By Steve Hammons

For the past several decades, robust secrecy and security have allegedly been in place within the U.S. and international defense and intelligence communities about UFOs and extraterrestrial visitation to Earth. Military pilots and others who had close encounters or were curious about these topics were often told they did not have a "need to know" about what might be going on.

Now, however, that situation may have changed. Today, our duty might be to learn more and become appropriately informed about extraterrestrial visitation and other leading-edge research topics.

In the past, national and global security may have depended on total secrecy. Or at least that was a viewpoint for many years. If you didn’t have a need to know, you were probably expected to deliberately remain uninformed for national security reasons as well as for your own personal career.

Yet, in November 2012, it’s possible that national and global security could be enhanced by greater awareness and understanding about UFOs and related subjects. People in the defense and intelligence communities certainly bring important and valuable skills and perspectives to these challenges.

What is the current situation report or “sitrep” about UFOs and extraterrestrial visitation?

TRYING TO HANDLE THE SITUATION

This past summer, a respected 35-year veteran of the CIA went public with his claims of seeing materials at CIA headquarters that demonstrated to him that the 1947 Roswell incident really was the crash of an extraterrestrial spacecraft.

This CIA officer’s statements follow several years of increasing public discussions and forums involving retired military personnel who have reported multiple close encounters involving apparent intelligent spacecraft or other objects interfacing with military aircraft, personnel and facilities.

But these kinds of reports are not new. Several high-ranking military officials publicly stated decades ago that UFOs are real. During World War II, glowing orbs flying near U.S. military aircraft were dubbed “foo fighters” and reportedly were photographed and investigated. The Army’s alleged Interplanetary Phenomena Unit (IPU) was reportedly formed to research the situation further.

Another group, often said to be called Majestic-12, was allegedly formed at the highest levels of the U.S. government following the Roswell incident. This group of scientists and defense leaders coordinated investigations and secrecy on the UFO topic, according to many researchers. When military personnel or others had close encounters of some kind, reports were sent through certain chains of command to Majestic-12, researchers allege.

Witnesses were sometimes told to keep quiet and that the incidents they encountered “never happened.”

Even the Air Force’s Project BLUE BOOK, formed in 1952 and based in southwestern Ohio at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, was actually somewhat of a cover for other levels of activities regarding UFOs, according to some investigators. Reports sent to and investigated by Project BLUE BOOK personnel may have been forwarded on to Majestic-12 for further analysis.

Certain military and intelligence personnel may have been screened and recruited to be part of the efforts to handle the extraterrestrial visitation situation. People involved in special operations, search and rescue/recovery, covert/clandestine activities as well as scientific experts may have been brought into the compartmented loop of UFO and extraterrestrial activities, and given an alleged MAJIC security clearance level.

AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING

While previously there may have been a perceived duty of military and intelligence personnel to ignore and not know about UFOs, today our duty may lie in gaining greater awareness about this important area. This is probably true for the general public as well.

But beyond simple awareness that something very interesting is apparently going on, the task of understanding what it all might mean seems to be a greater challenge. How do the puzzle pieces fit together to give us some reasonably comprehensive picture of the current situation? What do we have a need to know, or not know?  

It has been widely speculated that U.S. aircraft and spacecraft development may have been enhanced by what has been learned in the study of UFOs that may have been obtained and examined. Naturally, the details of secret aircraft development are not appropriate for public disclosure. However, the broader overview of this possible scenario might be worthwhile for us to be aware of.

Are there dangers or risks to average people that are somehow related to the UFO phenomena or other outside-the-box discoveries? That seems to be an area where we would have a need to know.

Likewise, can our lives be improved – maybe very significantly – by greater understanding about these kinds of developments? Certain advanced technologies and knowledge could help human understanding about a number of crucial issues facing humanity and Planet Earth.

Thanks to valuable research by people associated with and within the defense and intelligence communities, we seem to be more ready to move forward to the next stages of disclosure and education about UFOs and other advanced knowledge.

Our duty to not know may have morphed into a duty to know … and understand.

More than meets the eye in CIA agent’s Roswell story?

By Steve Hammons

The claim by veteran CIA officer Chase Brandon that the Roswell incident really was the crash of an extraterrestrial craft is sparking interest and controversy. Some researchers in the field suspect there is more to this story.

Is Brandon just promoting his new book – maybe hoping for a movie deal?

Is he putting out false information for some reason? Is he framing true information within a false story about finding a box marked “Roswell” in a secure vault of the historical documents area at CIA headquarters?

Is this part of public education and preparedness? Is his book itself actually fact-based fiction and a cover method to put out important information the public has a need to know?

Many of these elements could be in play. There could also be other factors to consider.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Some researchers with defense and intelligence backgrounds have noted that if essentially true sensitive facts are released and adequately mixed with inaccurate information, there may not be a violation of security procedures and requirements that Brandon and others are certainly subject to.

This idea was repeatedly brought forth by researchers regarding the so-called Project SERPO information releases. To some experienced researchers who looked at the Project SERPO claims, it seemed that true information was mixed with inaccurate statements. In that case, the alleged sources were reportedly from the DIA – the Defense Intelligence Agency.

This method is used in disinformation or manipulation activities – a skillful mixing of truth and lies, and framing information in certain ways to help achieve a desired outcome.

Another reasonable point has been brought up by researchers regarding Brandon’s statements: Wouldn’t he need to at least get permission from CIA to make such public statements? You would think so. If that is the case, is there more agency involvement than meets the eye?

A few researchers appear to suspect that Brandon’s statements may be part of a deception operation that we may not fully understand at this time.

Another reasonable view seems to be that this could actually be a way to release more information to the public about the truth of extraterrestrial visitation to Earth.

The fact that this experienced covert operations professional was also the agency’s liaison to the publishing business and Hollywood certainly seems relevant. He has been a technical advisor on many major movies and TV shows and apparently is involved with key people and media projects.

SAFE GRADUAL DISCLOSURE

Some people may feel that those involved in the UFO and extraterrestrial situation fall into two camps: those keeping secrets from the public, and those trying to discover and release such information to the public.

The truth is that some people are charged with doing both. These activities are probably not mutually exclusive. Disclosure of interesting information about extraterrestrial visitation may be thoroughly linked with appropriate safety and security considerations about certain aspects of the situation.

Additionally, certain methods of framing key points about the extraterrestrial visitation topic, such as “fictional” movies, TV shows and novels, could be considered very helpful in educating and preparing the public. If elements of Brandon’s new book are truth within the context of a fictional novel, as many novels are, then those elements are both a standard storytelling technique and possibly a way to release more information and improve our perspective.

Do CIA agents sometimes lie? Are they involved in deception operations? Is the sky blue?

Are they also committed to the United States of America and the American people? In most cases the answer would be yes. When dealing with complex and sensitive topics like extraterrestrial visitation and activities on and around Earth, dedicated Americans in the defense and intelligence communities are certainly involved.

What their involvement is probably varies among individuals, groups and organizations, and how the overall situation is evolving. And, their methods, tactics and strategies may also vary somewhat.

It’s clear that Brandon’s statements have already received widespread media attention, including major mainstream media platforms. This in itself seems to be quite helpful in getting us all thinking deeply about what might be going on.

(Two recent related articles on Joint Recon Study Group site: “Roswell was ET crash, says ex-CIA officer – what’s been going on since 1947?” and “CIA veteran says Roswell was extraterrestrial crash.”)

Journalism in media mix: New shows ‘Chasing UFOs,’ ‘Spacing Out’ help prepare public

By Steve Hammons

Two new shows exploring the UFO phenomena – “Chasing UFOs” on the National Geographic Channel and the online program “Spacing Out” from OpenMinds.TV in Arizona – attempt to find interesting, fun and credible ways to present information related to the UFO topic.

These programs join a long list of fictional (including fact-based fiction) and documentary-type TV shows and films over the years and decades.

The end result of these new efforts and the many other media projects that have gone before is that the general public has grown more aware of known UFO cases and elements involved, and what they might mean.

By being more aware, the public is also better prepared.

Improving general understanding about such an apparently complex situation is not always an easy task. To do it in a way that does not “dumb down” the topic and the audience has been an ongoing challenge for creators of TV and movies, researchers and writers.

At the same time, today’s audiences include adults, young adults, teens, tweens and even kids. Subjects like extraterrestrial spacecraft and intelligent visitors from elsewhere can be scary. The viewpoint of Earth humans about the Universe could change. In fact, this viewpoint is changing due to ongoing “edu-tainment” programs like “Chasing UFOs” and “Spacing Out.”

JOURNALISM AND NEWS MEDIA

Responsible news and journalism professionals also seem to be trying to bring objectivity to coverage of the UFO situation. Lee Speigel of the online Huffington Post is an experienced researcher and writer on this subject. His regular articles on HuffPost offer reasonable, down-to-Earth perspectives.

Actually, American journalism has been doing a better job of covering this subject over the decades than many people realize. In fact, newspaper reports and news media accounts of a range of UFO incidents have been important in much of our current understanding of the phenomena.

A review of newspaper articles going back to the 1800s and early 1900s include those describing mysterious “airships” seen by witnesses.

Other cases like the national and international press coverage of the Roswell incident in the summer of 1947 showed that, generally, news reporters did a decent job under the circumstances.

A few years later in the summer of 1952, headlines again appeared in newspapers about the multiple apparent objects over Washington, D.C. These objects were reportedly tracked on radar and chased by U.S. military aircraft. Coverage of this incident in newspapers was fairly thorough. (Interestingly, a member of the newly-formed Air Force “Project BLUE BOOK” at southwestern Ohio’s Wright-Patterson Air Force Base was in Washington at the time.)

Other cases large and small were covered by the news media over the years. For example, the 1973 “Coyne Incident” in the skies above central Ohio involving an Army Reserve helicopter crew is one very credible case that received solid coverage, at least by the local media.

And in 1997, the Phoenix, Arizona, incident generated intense local media coverage, as well as national and international news reports. A huge V-shaped or boomerang-shaped object or craft gently glided over the metro Phoenix “Valley of the Sun” region one evening. Later that evening, military flares were apparently dropped over a nearby Air Force practice range.

In 2006, it was Chicago Tribune transportation journalist Jon Hilkevitch who reported that multiple witnesses at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport claimed to have seen a gray, metallic-looking, disc-shaped object hovering over the airport, then zipping away into the clouds.

The 2008 Stephenville, Texas, sightings also credit good news coverage to local reporting. Small-town newspaper reporter Angelia Joiner followed up on reports from reliable local citizens. Before long, major national and international news media also provided reasonably thorough coverage of a series of incidents and sightings in the region.

BLENDING JOURNALISM AND ENTERTAINMENT

Is it possible to successfully integrate the factual reporting of conventional journalism with more creative and engaging media approaches?

It seems to have been done well in many films, TV shows and books. Elements of fact-based fiction can come into play to tell the story, explore the possibilities and prepare ourselves for further developments on the UFO topic.

Speculation and creative leeway may be needed in some cases because conventional journalism is usually limited to that which has been determined and is factual – the “who, what, when, where, why and how.”

Behind the scenes, there might be much more going on but that information is too sensitive to be released to the general public, probably for a number of reasons. National security or global security could be involved. Gradual public preparedness and limited public information might be considered a wise approach. And some aspects of the situation could be so complex or even troubling that they should be closely held or disseminated on a need-to-know basis only.

Various kinds of approaches in TV shows, movies, books and other media platforms can sometimes help fill in gaps about UFOs and what they might mean. Some scenarios and perspectives in some media activities appear to be quite credible and others less so. But most such projects and products seem to help move the ball forward in public understanding.

“Chasing UFOs” and “Spacing Out” seem like two more examples of reasonable efforts to try to find effective and fun ways for more Americans to learn about the apparently complex and sensitive topic of UFOs.

Up to speed on UFOs, intelligent visitors? Revised ‘A.D. After Disclosure’ book release in May

By Steve Hammons

Because there is now more awareness about indications that Earth is being visited by intelligent beings from elsewhere, maybe it’s time to read the new, updated version of the book “A.D. After Disclosure” by Richard Dolan and Bryce Zabel. The updated book is due to be released in May by New Page Books of Career Press.

Publication of the original book in October 2010 presented a rich overview of the state of research into the UFO phenomenon and apparently-related activities. According to the authors, the revised book will have additional information, more photos and “new thinking.”

The new version of the book also has a revised subtitle: “When the Government Finally Reveals the Truth About Alien Contact.”

And, the authors focus on how greater understanding by the general public about these circumstances might affect people around the world. “A.D. After Disclosure: When the Government Finally Reveals the Truth About Alien Contact” will be available as a hard cover as well as an e-book.

HISTORY, HOLLYWOOD, AWARENESS NOW

Historian Dolan and Hollywood writer and producer Zabel teamed up to write the book in their ongoing efforts to learn more about this intriguing situation and pass on what they have discovered. They explore the effects of secrecy and security about the UFO phenomena and how this has played out in American and international society.

Dolan is a well-known speaker and the author of the historical book series “UFOs and the National Security State.”

Zabel is a former TV journalist who later transformed into a Hollywood writer and producer, serving as past chairman of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Leveraging their backgrounds and years of research into the fascinating and somewhat concerning topics surrounding the UFO phenomena, Dolan and Zabel created a comprehensive view of the complex and sometimes surprising elements apparently in play. "A.D. After Disclosure" looks at facts, alleged facts and possibilities that we should probably consider.

Are intelligent beings from other planets and/or dimensions visiting Earth? How long have they been doing so? Are they friendly, neutral or hostile? What are their activities here? Have the U.S. and international governments been handling the situation in a competent way? What are the scientific implications? These are some of the questions the authors ask and attempt to answer.

BEING PREPARED

Importantly, how does this situation affect all of us, our children and families, our communities and the human race on planet Earth? What changes will occur as understanding increases about these circumstances?

Dolan and Zabel explore various possible developments from public announcements by government officials to the less dramatic but equally-significant gradual improvement in public awareness about these topics.

Because the UFO situation and related factors are reportedly sensitive national security concerns, readers will note that the authors take safety considerations into account. They freely admit that the truth about some aspects of the situation may be challenging or difficult and robust secrecy and security are understandable.

Yet, they also seem to recognize that the separate and probably complementary issue of increased public knowledge is also very important. Dolan and Zabel seem to have reasonable faith that the American people and humans around the world will be able to handle these discoveries. So, they lay it on the table for readers to see, to consider and to come to their own conclusions.

How we respond to the ideas and facts about this UFO-and-visitation situation will depend on human psychology, emotions and spiritual viewpoints. Another important factor examined by Dolan and Zabel is how the entertainment and news media have handled this subject so far and how their treatment of it could change significantly.

Being prepared for developments, whether sudden or gradual, about UFOs and visitors is something that the authors appear to believe is important for safety and positive outcomes for humanity.

For more information, visit http://www.afterdisclosure.com/.