‘Hillbilly’ J.D. Vance, columnist Clarence Page find common ground in southwest Ohio roots

By Steve Hammons

Long-time Chicago Tribune columnist Clarence Page and J.D. Vance, author of the book “Hillbilly Elegy” (movie due out soon), have recently acknowledged some overlapping elements of their upbringing.

Both are from Middletown, located between Dayton and Cincinnati in the southwestern corner of Ohio, near the Indiana and Kentucky state lines.

Page, a generation older than Vance, has pointed out that both his father and Vance’s grandfather worked in the same Middletown lumberyard, and that both families struggled financially.

Both Page and Vance have noted that limited economic opportunities contributed to hardships for not only their families, but also for their larger communities. For Page’s family – the Black community. And for Vance’s family – the people in southwest Ohio from southern Appalachia.

In both cases, Page and Vance say that the experiences of their families are similar to those of others from these respective communities.

HILLBILLY HIGHWAY, UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

These two communities have sometimes been perceived and labeled in certain derogatory ways. The two also seem to have several factual historical elements in common, as well as obvious differences.

In the case of southern Appalachian “hillbillies,” often of Scots-Irish backgrounds, they have sometimes been called a dysfunctional group overall, with bad work habits, problematic family relationships, low educational attainment, poor health, drug and alcohol abuse, antisocial behavior, a bad attitude that is rebellious against authority and a chip on their shoulder.

In the case of the Black community, they have sometimes been called a dysfunctional group overall, with bad work habits, problematic family relationships, low educational attainment, poor health, drug and alcohol abuse, antisocial behavior, a bad attitude that is rebellious against authority and a chip on their shoulder.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to examine the histories of these two groups and see that there are significant similarities that could be related to some of these derogatory perceptions and labels.

Both have a history of being used as cheap labor – very cheap labor – and often trapped in oppressive poverty by external economic, sociological and geographic circumstances for generations while trying to survive and work toward a better life.

Both Page’s and Vance’s families had moved north in years past, north of the Ohio River and into that southwestern corner of Ohio. The general route from the southern Appalachian region into southwest Ohio and points north and northwest is known as the “Hillbilly Highway.”

This is not to be confused with the east-west, officially-named Appalachian Highway, State Route 32, between Cincinnati and Athens, deeper in the Appalachian region. Athens is home of Ohio University (Page’s alma mater) and a key data point in historian David McCullough’s recent best-selling book “The Pioneers.”

The Underground Railroad across the Ohio River and through southern Ohio was another north-south route taken by many people who were also seeking a better life. Today, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is located in downtown Cincinnati near the Bengals and Reds stadiums on the banks of the Ohio River. After the Civil War, of course, many people headed north for a number of reasons.

SHAWNEE, REVOLUTIONARY VETS, QUAKERS, GERMANS

Some or many of the experiences of the families of Page and Vance in southwestern Ohio are probably related to the deeper historical background of the area, in one way or another.

Long before the Civil War period, Revolutionary War veterans and other settlers moved into the area as the Shawnee and other Native tribes in the region were being pushed out. Cincinnati was named for a Revolutionary War Continental Army officer veterans’ group.

After the Revolutionary War, the land rush into “the Ohio Country” was on. The Shawnee and other regional tribes fought many battles to protect their land and way of life. But, in the end, they were militarily defeated.

Quaker settlers had arrived in southwestern Ohio in the early 1800s and continued migrating to that area and others north of the Ohio River. In their own way, they tried to help the defeated Shawnee and other tribes, sometimes through misguided approaches. Regional Quakers were reportedly very involved in the Underground Railroad and anti-slavery abolitionist movement.

Several waves of German immigrants arrived in the southwestern Ohio area in the mid-1800s. Cincinnati was a major center for German immigrants and is still a center of German-American culture today. Cincinnati is one point of the "German triangle" of German immigrants and settlement, with St. Louis and Milwaukee being the other two points of the triangle.

Some people might associate German-Americans of the region with loyalty and ideological issues during World War I and World War II. However, German-Americans from Ohio fought bravely for the Union in the Civil War. Several all-German-American regiments from Ohio and elsewhere in the North fought in major Civil War battles.

So, it’s probably fair to say that Page and Vance are both products of similar and common experiences, not only of their growing-up years in Middletown, but also of certain larger contexts of American history and the history of southwestern Ohio.


(Related articles "Navy Research Project on Intuition," "Human perception key in hard power, soft power, smart power" and “Storytelling affects human biology, beliefs, behavior” are posted on the CultureReady blog, Defense Language and National Security Education Office, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, U.S. Department of Defense.)

Startup company researching advanced tech, UFOs gives updates during Q&A

By Steve Hammons

More information was put forward last week about news reports describing U.S. Navy encounters with unusual, unidentified objects or phenomena.

In an email notice last Thurs., May 21, to interested members of the public, the startup company To The Stars Academy of Arts and Science (TTSA) published questions and answers from a May 13, one-hour, live, Q&A session on Twitter.

Twenty-five of the questions were posted and TTSA adviser Christopher Mellon did the answering on behalf of the company. Mellon is a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for intelligence.

In the past two years, both the Navy and the U.S. Defense Department have confirmed that multiple incidents involved what they are officially calling “unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP).”

The company also noted that it plans to launch a communications effort called “TTSA Talks” that will use various formats to discuss and explain TTSA’s research and other activities. Mellon’s Q&A session on Twitter is planned to be the first of several TTSA Talks, the company said.

COMPLEX, SENSITIVE STORIES OF UFO RESEARCH

Of the 25 questions selected by TTSA for publication, some focused on the Navy fighter jet videos that have been in the news. Other questions and answers involved the activities of Congress and the U.S. defense and intelligence communities. The role of the media and the accuracy of news coverage were also brought up.

Below are verbatim excerpts from 12 of the 25 Qs and As that seem to provide helpful ways to look at these and related topics:

Q #2: Is it plausible that the #UAP subject has been buried deep within private industry to avoid government oversight and public scrutiny? And if so, what can be done to identify the private entities in possession of the data (or technology)?

A: It is possible that there are aspects of this that are in private sector hands …

Q #7: Reporter George Knapp [award-winning investigative journalist, KLAS-TV News, CBS8, Las Vegas] has speculated there are other, better funded UAP programs that should come to light. Word is about 4 of them in existence for many decades. Do you feel confident we will learn about more programs in the near future?

A: I’m not sure what programs he is referring to but I see no evidence DoD is about to release info about new, undisclosed, classified programs on this topic. We applaud DoD’s recent openness regarding the videos however we would like to see greater transparency going forward. All of us at TTSA would like to see greater government transparency.

Q #9: How would the team respond to criticism of a small group claiming TTSA is positioning #UAP as a potential threat to create a "defense" narrative around the topic? This seems simply a way to engage those who only respond to something if they think it’s a POTENTIAL threat.

A: We were motivated by the lack of support for pilots concerned about threats to (them) from these aircraft, from mid-air collisions, or possibly worse.

Q #11: Thanks for getting credible mainstream outlets to cover this (NYT, CNN, WaPo, etc.)! My question is does appearing on disinformation programs like Glenn Beck/Hannity do more hurt than good?

A: I don’t regard the UAP issue as a partisan topic, and Lue [Luis Elizondo, TTSA director of government services and programs] and I do interviews for all manner of press. I have independently written about my concerns and distaste for excessive partisanship and the problems it poses

Q #12: Has there been any tangible progress on the international stage? What kind of progress, do you believe, has been achieved by other countries in tracking, investigating, and replicating these phenomena? And, lastly, are you seeing positive momentum?

A: There is growing international interest. In 2018, for example, the Chinese government-funded an international UAP symposium focused on high tech issues. Lue recently returned from a visit to Latin America that will feature prominently in an upcoming episode of #UNIDENTIFIED [A&E History Channel docu-series “Unidentified: Inside America's UFO Investigation”].

Q #13: If @TTSAcademy could only accomplish one goal (in my opinion you've already accomplished a great deal) - What would the most important thing that comes out of all this?

A: Great question! If the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life is established, it will prompt the biggest transformation in humanity’s outlook since Copernicus.

MANY NARRATIVES SURROUND ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA

Mellon also fielded additional questions that have been raised over the decades as well in the last couple of years.

Q #14: Can you address how the understanding/realization of the UAP being a real phenomenon has changed you and other members of TTSA at a personal level?

A: Wow, interesting question. I’m proud of what we have achieved in a short period of time but also keenly aware that the ramifications are immense and potentially very concerning. The more concrete the issue becomes the more weighty it becomes.

Q #15: How do you guys straddle the confidentiality issues that are inherent with Disclosure of these matters? What's it like to work with people that know things but can't breach their confidentiality?

A: People in the IC live with that all the time. Even among people with TS clearances there are all manner of restricted compartments. I once had to live with a report that terrorists had smuggled a nuke into DC and I couldn’t warn friends and neighbors to get out of town! That was difficult, this is not.

Q #16: In May 2016, Leslie Kean [author, journalist, researcher] asked: "Are you certain there is no government cover-up?" You answered, "It’s impossible to prove the negative, so all I can say is that I never saw any evidence of official interest in UAPs."

A: Uncle Sam has a big basement and rummaging around there can turn up all manner of things. However, I think the central problem at the moment is the lack of government interest and effort to get to the bottom of the issue.

Q #17: If the 3 videos released thus far were unclassified (and it’s arguable whether they ever were) it begs the question: why? It seems out of character to release footage like this unless the content is unremarkable or part of a planned disclosure campaign.

A: DoD has thoroughly reviewed the videos and publicly stated: “After a thorough review, the dept. has determined that the authorized release of these unclassified videos does not reveal any sensitive capabilities or systems, and does not impinge on any subsequent investigations of military air space incursions by unidentified aerial phenomena.”

Q #24: Other than "these objects are real" do we know anything about the phenomenon at this stage... like what it is, who it is, where it's from, etc.?

A: Our government hasn’t bothered even to pull data from existing sensor systems much less engage in a vigorous investigation …

Q #25: Hello, my question is: do the vast majority of people in the intelligence community believe that the UAP’s could in fact be extraterrestrial?

A: Absolutely not! We’re still at the stage of getting the community to take the issue seriously. Once people do engage however this hypothesis inevitably arises.

-  -  -

The TTSA company advises people to stay tuned for future communications about their research and work. In their recent email, TTSA explained about future TTSA Talks efforts. “The program will invite different members of the TTSA team to host informative conversations that dive deeper into the complexities surrounding the company’s mission."

"Those who are able to tune-in will get exclusive insight into the various people, partnerships and projects that are helping us achieve our goals. Formats will include live Q&A sessions, podcasts and more. We look forward to announcing our next installment of the series very soon,” the company email stated.

To read the full 25-question Q&A, visit the TTSA site here.


(Related articles "Navy Research Project on Intuition" and “Storytelling affects human biology, beliefs, behavior” are posted on the CultureReady blog, Defense Language and National Security Education Office, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, U.S. Department of Defense.)

‘Boomer remover’ coronavirus is bigger threat to WWII generation that saved the world

By Steve Hammons

So far, the coronavirus seems to be creating more severe illness and death among people age 60 and older, according to reports. This obviously impacts the post-World War II “baby boom” Americans (and those in other countries) who were born between 1944 and 1964, and are now around age 55-75.

Hence, the term for coronavirus, “boomer remover,” that has been circulating out there, along with the virus itself. There reportedly are approximately 76 million baby boomers in America.

Boomers are also the group that generally faced the Vietnam War (1955-1975). They fought in the war, and against it – both often with courage and honor in the face of conflicting, changing and very difficult circumstances.

But the greatest risks from coronavirus reportedly are to the World War II generation, born between 1901 and 1927. Those women and men experienced the Great Depression (1929-1933) and are now in their late 80s and 90s. They are our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents.

Oh, and by the way, in the World War II era of the mid-1940s, they helped save Planet Earth and humanity from the dire threat posed by the perverse and murderous Nazi movement then centered in 1930s and ‘40s Germany. U.S. military deaths during WWII totaled more than 405,000.

URGENT TEAMWORK

According to news reports, recently-released forecasts by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimate that, over the next year, the coronavirus could potentially infect between 160 million and 214 million people, and kill between 200,000 to 1.7 million people in the U.S.

Younger adults might think they will not be significantly medically affected by the coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease, based on current research data. However, the highly-contagious disease could be fatal for their parents and grandparents.

And recent reports from France note that half of the patients in intensive care from COVID-19 are under age 60. Preliminary medical data from Italy are also noting a significant number of cases in younger adults, somewhat in contrast to initial data from China indicating a significant risk for older adults only.

Generations X, Y and Z might be younger and, in general, healthier than Boomers and the WWII generation, but Gen X Americans are not exactly young anymore, and some Gen Y folks are pushing age 40:

- Gen X:  Approximately 82 million in U.S., born 1965-1979, currently ages 40-54.

- Gen Y: Approximately 72 million in U.S., born 1980-1994, currently ages 25-39.

- Gen Z: Approximately 74 million in U.S., born 1995-2015, currently ages 4-24.

Additionally, people of all ages should be aware and concerned about the possibility of the coronavirus mutating into a form that could impact a wider scope of people. Viruses naturally mutate, and this is a common trait of viruses.

According to some research, the coronavirus might have already mutated into two strains. Mutation could affect how easily a contagious virus can be transmitted, who it affects and how deadly it is.

Mutation can go either way – toward a less harmful or more dangerous virus.

Because there currently is no proven and approved medication, and no vaccine for coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease, a mutation in the wrong direction could be very problematic for a broader demographic of Americans.

So, there are a number of good reasons for people of all ages, backgrounds and circumstances to follow recommendations from public health officials. Today, Grandma and Grandpa are at greatest risk. Tomorrow, it could be you.

The incubation period for the coronavirus is reportedly from 2 to 14 days, though typically around 5 to 5.2 days, according to U.S. public health officials. That indicates that the virus is currently incubating in many Americans who will start experiencing symptoms in the next 10 days or so, and beyond.

That is when our hospitals and front-line health care providers could be pushed to the limit, or past the breaking point. We might run out of hospital beds, ventilators, protective gear for providers – and health care providers themselves as they become ill with COVID-19. 

If you are age 25 with pneumonia from coronavirus, and there are no medical resources to help you, what would have been a treatable condition could become fatal.

REINFORCEMENTS NEEDED 

According to the CDC, their forecasts indicate that hospitalizations from coronavirus could range from 2.4 million to 21 million people. In the U.S. currently, there are approximately 925,000 beds, less than 100,000 of the beds are for critical patients.

The sooner we “flatten the curve” through robust “social distancing” and delay the inevitable spread of the COVID-19 disease, the better off we all will be.

It seems possible or likely that military resources will soon be deployed further to assist – reserve components (National Guard, Reserves) and active-duty. National Guard troops have already been called out in several states. Military field hospitals, large and small, can be erected quickly and staffed with highly-trained and experienced military physicians, nurses and other health care specialists.

Our military not only has a well-developed and mobile medical system, but also has expertise in logistics, moving things and people from one place to another. Military personnel could also be made available to assist in other non-medical public health efforts of various kinds.

Other potential resources include volunteers who could undergo a rapid-training program to assist in multiple ways. College students and high school students, at lower risk for serious disease, could be trained-up quickly for a number of urgent situations. Other civilian volunteers, many of them suddenly unemployed, could also be promptly trained to help.

The pandemic has cost many Americans paychecks temporarily, and it is certain to result in a loss of jobs and income for a large number of our citizens. In addition to this important factor, many people want to help in any way they can. They want to pitch in to get through this situation.

A trained volunteer force could transition into a paid paraprofessional force on a temporary basis. We will probably need these reinforcements soon. 

It’s time to think outside-the-box, enlist all Americans to pull together, and rapidly implement intelligent, responsible and effective leadership throughout our society – from the top down, from the grassroots up, and from the center out.


(Related articles "Navy Research Project on Intuition," "Human perception key in hard power, soft power, smart power" and “Storytelling affects human biology, beliefs, behavior” are posted on the CultureReady blog, Defense Language and National Security Education Office, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, U.S. Department of Defense.)

Sketchy dimensions: UFO investigations reveal need for caution, potential for beneficial discovery

By Steve Hammons

Movies, TV shows, books and other media platforms seem to increasingly explore scientific mysteries about the Universe, Earth and Nature. Although the accuracy and reliability of some of these stories might be questionable, many of the areas of investigation seem to spark the curiosity of millions of people around the world.

New discoveries seem to be happening all the time, and more are surely on the horizon. Keeping up with new, and maybe unusual, scientific developments seems to require increasing open-mindedness combined with common sense, caution and a moral compass.

For example, information technology, quantum computing and artificial intelligence are evolving rapidly. Medical and health sciences are also moving forward. And many other areas of human endeavor and knowledge seem to be generally progressing, despite numerous risks and counterproductive human activities and developments.

In some forward-leaning scientific research, investigators are looking into the expanded potential of human perception and awareness, “weird physics” and the theories about multiple dimensions in Nature and the Universe.

Certain locations in the U.S. and around the world have been the focus of extensive research because of theories that they are associated with connection points or portals to other dimensions – dimensions that may be natural, but unusual for us.

DIMENSIONAL ENVIRONMENTS

A book published in 1995 was titled “Merging Dimensions: The Opening Portals of Sedona” by Sedona, Arizona, residents Tom Dongo and Linda Bradshaw. The authors shared details of a number of unusual experiences and observations around the Sedona area.

The book seems to reflect other research on that same region that indicates fluctuations in Earth’s magnetism there. This is believed to be related to the geology of the Sedona area – red earth, red cliffs and fantastic red rock formations there are rich in iron oxide and quartz, combined with volcanic geological influences.

Some of the odd phenomena reported in the Sedona area are reportledy suspected of being associated with connections to other dimensions.

Sedona is also on the southwestern rim of the Colorado Plateau, which spans the Four Corners states of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. This overall region is also associated with theories and reports of incidents related to interdimensional phenomena, UFOs and similar mysterious, and sometimes unsettling and concerning indications.

Around the Colorado Plateau and around the world, researchers and average people have reportedly encountered a number of anomalous locations and situations that seem to point to the possible reality of other dimensions. These dimensions might be nearby, or even abut our reality in certain ways, according to some theories.

Research into “near-death experiences (NDEs)” includes widespread reports by credible people of an afterlife dimension of some kind that they encountered.

More recently, the concept of “shared-death experiences” has emerged, describing cases where it’s not just the person passing on who has a weird experience. In shared-death experiences, family members or others in proximity who are perfectly healthy also experience odd phenomena related to the passing of the loved one into another dimension of some kind.

In some spiritual teachings we are told that there are certain dimensions that are good, transcendent and beautiful. And other dimensions – not so much.

EXPANDED ECOSYSTEM

Science and spirituality continue to cross paths in many types of research. This connection is sometimes reported in relation to natural and biological sciences, medical and health sciences, aerospace and space science, as well as other fields of human activity and progress.

The classes in Earth science we had in school might have been incomplete. In addition to geography, geology, oceanography and other Earth sciences, textbooks might one day include chapters about Planet Earth’s various interdimensional features.

And like the normal environments we’re familiar with, some dimensions might hold pleasant experiences. These could be like a beautiful ocean beach, scenic hilltop, peaceful blue lake or fertile green pastures and farmlands – with good, kind and wise beings there.

We might wonder if other dimensions, like those we’re also normally familiar with, could be like a wild forest or jungle, with creatures that could be dangerous and deadly. Or, also like on Earth, environments where there is violence, war, cruelty, oppression and suffering. If this could be so, then researchers and average people might consider increased caution when exploring certain unusual phenomena.

In our everyday world, it’s a good idea to avoid sketchy neighborhoods where violent crime occurs frequently. Taking vacations in certain countries and regions of the world is also not a good idea, due to crime, murders, and now, highly-contagious disease.

Maybe this kind of perspective is also applicable to some far-out and forward-leaning research into the ideas about multiple dimensions, UFOs and other anomalous phenomena. In both normal and unusual settings, any number of dangers or unforeseen consequences can sometimes emerge. Caution and safety are probably appropriate.

And for those who are researching theories of other dimensions, there’s also the promise of discoveries that could change Earth and its inhabitants for the better – in ways that could be surprising, signficant, robust, uplifting, transcendent or even miraculous.


(Related articles "Navy Research Project on Intuition" and "Human perception key in hard power, soft power, smart power" are posted on the CultureReady blog, Defense Language and National Security Education Office, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, U.S. Department of Defense.)

 

‘Phoenix lights’ UFO linked to multiple incidents around four-state Colorado Plateau?

By Steve Hammons

The March 13, 1997, “Phoenix lights” UFO incident took place in close proximity to several other UFO cases around the edge of the Colorado Plateau, a huge land mass, roughly circular, that spans the “Four Corners” states of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.

The large, boomerang-shaped object reported over Phoenix that evening had allegedly been spotted earlier in Henderson, Nevada, a suburban city of Las Vegas, then in Kingman and Prescott, Arizona, heading southeast.

That southeasterly path also skirts the perimeter of the Colorado Plateau and the abutting mountainous “transition zone” which divide Arizona diagonally into the Sonoran Desert in the south and southwest, and the Colorado Plateau in the north and northeast.

In addition to Arizona, in New Mexico, Colorado and Utah – around the perimeter of the Colorado Plateau – there have been reports of UFO incidents over the years dating back to the 1940s.

Could there be any connections or related reasons why these incidents allegedly occurred, and are reportedly occurring, around the edge of the Colorado Plateau?

ROCKIN’ ‘ROUND THE CLOCK

Using the Phoenix lights case as a starting point and proceeding counterclockwise, Henderson, Kingman and Prescott are on the western and southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau, approximately the 9 o-clock to 8 o’clock position of the rough circle of the plateau.

Kingman may have been the site of a 1953 UFO crash incident, possibly involving three or more objects, that was handled in a discreet manner by U.S. government national security officials.

Phoenix is on the southern side of the Colorado Plateau, at approximately the 7 o’clock position, just south of the mountainous transition zone between the plateau and the Sonoran Desert.

Sedona, where UFOs and other odd phenomena have been reported, is also in the same 7 o'clock position, a 90-minute drive due north of Phoenix. At about 4,300 feet elevation, Sedona is considered within the transition zone and on the southern edge of the actual Colorado Plateau. Flagstaff, about 30 miles north, is on the plateau at 7,000 feet elevation, and the vast forests of pondersa pines there welcome visitors.

A bit southeast of Flagstaff is the area of the 1975 UFO case involving a forestry crew and its foreman named Travis Walton. This incident was made into the Hollywood movie “Fire in the Sky.” It reportedly took place in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests on the Mogollon Rim, a notable geographic feature that forms a distinct edge of the Colorado Plateau in Arizona, also roughly in the 7 o'clock location.

At approximately the 5 o’clock spot on the rim of the plateau is Socorro County, New Mexico, the site of the well-known 1964 UFO incident involving City of Socorro public safety peace officer Lonnie Zamora. Astronomer and Ohio State University professor J. Allen Hynek, PhD, a scientific investigator with the U.S. Air Force’s Project Blue Book, flew to New Mexico to investigate this case in person.

In about the 3 o’clock location of the plateau are the towns of Aztec and Farmington, New Mexico, and, to the east, southwestern Colorado’s San Luis Valley. 

According to some researchers, a UFO crash-landed near Aztec in 1948. Federal government and U.S. Army personnel reportedly responded to the scene via nearby Durango, Colorado, just north of the state line. The object was reportedly recovered and removed.

In 1950, a signficant number of citizens of nearby Farmington allegedly observed dozens or hundreds of UFOs above their town over a three-day period. This case is known as the “Farmington armada” incident and was well-documented in newspaper reports at the time.

The 37th parallel runs directly through this region and some researchers speculate that it is a "paranormal highway" for unusual occurrances. 

The Continental Divide of North America also runs north-south through this region, and to Alaska and South America. Water on the east side of the divide flows toward the Atlantic Ocean, and to the Pacific from the west side of the divide.

Colorado’s San Luis Valley to the east, abutting the New Mexico state line, is known as a hot spot for UFOs and other anomalous situations.

Continuing counterclockwise around the Colorado Plateau at approximately the 12 o’clock or 11 o'clock position is Utah’s Uinta (also spelled Uintah) region. This area is a known location of multiple UFO sightings and a diverse array of anomalous incidents.

Going further counterclockwise along the northwestern flank of the Colorado Plateau, abutting the I-15 freeway, continues around the plateau to the 9 o'clock Henderson-Las Vegas area via nearby St. George, Utah, close to the Nevada and Arizona state lines. (St. George looks a lot like Sedona, with red earth, and scenic red cliffs and mountains, and is also on the 37th parallel.) 

PHOENIX CASE UNIQUE

As we know, UFOs have reportedly been sighted and encountered around the world, in all types of locations, time frames and circumstances. Yet, if there are possible clues, patterns or guideposts that might emerge, we might be wise to take note.

The March 1997 Phoenix lights incident is somewhat distinct because it occurred over a major city in the mid-evening hours. Hundreds or thousands of people in the area were looking skyward to view the much-anticipated Hale-Bopp comet on a pleasant and clear Sonoran Desert spring evening. 

A huge V-shaped or boomerang-shaped object with several unusually-large lights underneath reportedly cruised slowly, silently and at a relatively low altitude right over the middle of the metro Phoenix "Valley of the Sun." It allegedly travelled diagonally from northwest to southeast, along the southern perimeter of the Colorado Plateau and abutting transition zone mountains north of Phoenix.

Hundreds, or thousands or tens of thousands of people may have witnessed the object. Many reportedly called 911, local TV stations and Luke Air Force Base on Phoenix’s west side. Luke AFB might have scrambled F-15 fighter jets in response, though this is apparently in dispute.

A few hours later in a seemingly separate incident, conventional illumination flares on parachutes were dropped by Air Force or Air National Guard planes south of Luke AFB at the nearby Barry M. Goldwater Range used for Air Force training. These flares would have been to the southwest of metro Phoenix. 

According to a later Air Force statement, a unit of the Maryland Air National Guard deployed the flares while completing training at the Goldwater Range that night before returning to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson.

(In 2011, UK Royal Air Force Apache helicopter pilot Capt. Harry Wales, Prince Harry, trained on the Goldwater Range at the Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field.)

In the days after the Phoenix lights sightings, then-Governor Fife Symington seemingly made fun of the incident at a well-known press conference when one of his aides dressed up in an extraterrestrial alien costume.

But in 2007, Symington, a former Air Force officer and pilot, came forward and said publicly that on the evening of March 13, 1997, he heard the chatter about people seeing something above Phoenix, and he went outside to check it out. Symington stated he also observed the huge craft with large lights that he does not believe was a U.S. military or civilian aircraft.

In 2017, actor and pilot Kurt Russell revealed that as he was flying into Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport March 13, 1997, he spotted six unusual, large lights and notified air traffic control at the Sky Harbor control tower. Russell has stated he thinks he might be the civilian pilot who was identified as having initially reported the object/lights on his approach to the airport.

And in 2020, to mark the 23rd anniversary of the incident, the annual March showing of the documentary film “The Phoenix Lights” is scheduled for Sunday, March 15, at the Harkins Shea 14 Cinema, Scottsdale, Arizona.

Looking at the Phoenix lights case in the context of UFO sightings around the world, do the Phoenix incident and other Colorado Plateau-related cases provide any clues about the broader and deeper UFO mysteries?

(Related articles “Storytelling affects human biology, beliefs, behavior” and “Reagan’s 1987 UN speech on ‘alien threat’ resonates now” are posted on the CultureReady blog, Defense Language and National Security Education Office, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, U.S. Department of Defense.) 

‘Force protection’ for our troops is now the responsibility of all Americans

By Steve Hammons

(Related articles "Navy Research Project on Intuition" and "Human perception key in hard power, soft power, smart power" are posted on the CultureReady blog, Defense Language and National Security Education Office, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, U.S. Department of Defense.)

The concept of “force protection” for U.S. military personnel and U.S. assets involves a system of analyses, assessments and actions in response to ever-changing threats.

Multiple force protection levels can flex and fluctuate in response to conventional and unconventional dangers, and from various and changing directions and sources. 

Readiness and ability to recognize new and emerging threats are key for force protection for our Army soldiers, Marines and other tip-of-the-spear warfighters from the Navy and Air Force. 

On March 18, 2009, James Mattis, former Marine Corps general and former secretary of defense, addressed the House Armed Services Committee. 

Mattis was then commander of the U.S. Joint Forces Command. At the time, the Joint Forces Command was one of 10 combatant commands in the U.S. Department of Defense and oversaw a force of 1.16 million active duty, National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers, Air Force personnel, Navy personnel and Marines. 

ADVANCED TRAINING 

In his address, Mattis said “core competency” is needed in “irregular warfare (IW).” He also referenced "hybrid warfare" which can combine IW and more conventional methods. 

Mattis said adversaries could use methods of a "hybrid nature that combine any available irregular or conventional mode of attack, using a blend of primitive, traditional and high-tech weapons and tactics." 

He told committee members, "We must have balanced and versatile joint forces ready to accomplish missions across the full spectrum of military operations – from large-scale, conventional warfare to humanitarian assistance and other forms of 'soft' power." 

Mattis’ guidance to lawmakers was not hypothetical. 

Many thousands of American military personnel have been killed and tens of thousands severely injured during the 2003 invasion and subsequent multi-year occupation of Iraq, and in attempts to stabilize Afghanistan. (Civilian deaths from those conflicts are estimated in the high hundreds of thousands, at a minimum.) 

American military families have been traumatized by the deaths of and severe injuries to sons, daughters, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers and other loved ones serving in our armed forces. 

In facing the sometimes confusing and changing threats around us, Mattis put forth a key question: "What capabilities are required?" An obvious answer: Education and training of joint personnel, he said. "A trained warrior may perform acceptably in a conventional operation, but irregular and hybrid wars demand highly-educated warriors to prevail," he told the committee.

He also told committee members, "Special emphasis must be placed on human, cultural, language, and cognitive skills. A 'cognitive' warrior knows how to acquire knowledge, process information from multiple sources, and make timely, accurate decisions in complex, ethically challenging and ever-changing environments."

"So, we must be prepared to think the 'unthinkable,' using our study and imagination to help us defeat the enemy," Mattis told committee members. "We must employ to our advantage the power of both inspiration and intimidation, each in the appropriate measure, to confound our enemies." 

COMMON OPERATIONAL PICTURE 

Now, in 2020, we find ourselves in a situation when the subject of force protection of our military personnel – many in their 20s and 30s, with spouses, young children, parents, siblings and other loved ones – is haunting our souls. 

Back in 2009, Mattis also told the House Armed Services Committee that he believed current and future national security challenges demand "whole-of-government" approaches. 

"Essential to a whole-of-government approach for applying all aspects of national and international power is the ability to share information and situational awareness among all partners," he said.

When information is appropriately shared, an "interagency common operational picture" is created, Mattis told the committee. Military personnel must communicate with civilian counterparts and create a synergy of effort, Mattis said. 

As part of preparation for enhanced U.S. force protection, it could be helpful to revisit the concept of “transcendent warfare.” This term was put forth by a former Navy SEAL officer back in 2001 when he was completing graduate-level studies at the Marine Corps War College. 

The idea of transcendent warfare was related to U.S. defense research in the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s into human perception, awareness, consciousness and intuition. 

Now, expanding military training and civilian public awareness of transcendent warfare concepts could be helpful in our approaches to force protection for U.S. armed forces personnel.


(Related article “Reagan’s 1987 UN speech on ‘alien threat’ resonates now” is posted on the CultureReady blog, Defense Language and National Security Education Office, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, U.S. Department of Defense.)

Reagan’s complete 1987 UN message on ‘alien threat’ overlooked: Grave danger here, now

By Steve Hammons

(Related article “Reagan’s 1987 UN speech on ‘alien threat’ resonates now” is posted on the CultureReady blog, Defense Language and National Security Education Office, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, U.S. Department of Defense.)

Former President Ronald Reagan has often been quoted regarding his Sept. 21, 1987, speech to the United Nations General Assembly referencing an “alien threat from outside this world.”

However, Reagan’s full comments are seemingly often overlooked.

Yes, Reagan had an interest in UFOs and no doubt had high-level briefings on the subject. The former president reportedly may have even had an “encounter” one evening on a drive down the California coast to a Hollywood party with his wife Nancy.

But his 1987 comments at the UN also had a different focus: “I occasionally think how quickly our differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world. And yet, I ask you, is not an alien force already among us? What could be more alien to the universal aspirations of our peoples than war and the threat of war?”

“Cannot swords be turned to plowshares? Can we and all nations not live in peace? In our obsession with antagonisms of the moment, we often forget how much unites all the members of humanity,” Reagan told the UN audience.

“Perhaps we need some outside, universal threat to make us recognize this common bond,” he said.

HUMANITY IN GRAVE DANGER NOW?

In the years since Reagan’s wise counsel to the world, the “alien threat” he warned about has attacked us again and again in the forms of multiple wars, terrorism and the seemingly infinite ways human beings harm each other and themselves.

That “alien force” within our midst that Reagan warned us about is upon us now in a much more serious way, and we are seemingly in grave danger as a result.

One element of this threat seems to be the destructive and self-destructive tendency of the human species worsened by certain individuals, leaders, groups and nations. And this feeds into what Reagan called “our obsession with antagonisms of the moment.”

“We often forget how much unites all the members of humanity,” Reagan advised us. He told us to look at ourselves, look within. Look at our governments and our governmental leaders. Look at our societies and organized religions, our development in arts and sciences. 

“What could be more alien to the universal aspirations of our peoples than war and the threat of war?” Reagan asked in his UN address.

But Reagan did not rule out other kinds of situations that might help humanity unite. “Perhaps we need some outside, universal threat to make us recognize this common bond,” he said.

This brings us to the significant December 2017 article in the New York Times about the recent U.S. Navy encounters with UFOs and the Defense Department’s Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP). Widespread news reports explored and explained the stated activities of the program.

As the public and those in the media and national security community learned more, there was concern about the reliable reports of unknown objects in close proximity to U.S. Navy aircraft carrier battle groups.

These recent developments follow decades of speculation, research, news stories, fiction and non-fiction movies, books and TV shows about UFOs and visitors from elsewhere – other planets, other dimensions, or other planets in other dimensions.

And as a logical and natural part of the research and speculation about these topics, we have wanted to know if any such visitors are friendly, neutral or hostile. Could they be “frenemies” like some countries the U.S. deals with? Could it be a complicated military and political situation like the complex conventional international relations among human nations and groups?

“I occasionally think how quickly our differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world,” said Reagan.

It seems that Reagan was warning the people of the world of a possible two-pronged threat: 1) From ourselves and our leaders, primarily in the form of war, especially escalated modern warfare and related planetary contamination/degradation, and 2) From truly “alien threats” of one or more hostile non-human species.

YET UNKNOWN OBJECTIVE

And now, some national security experts are supporting Reagan’s informed speculation about that second category, that a possible “alien threat” or problematic “alien force” other than ourselves and our own leaders is something to be aware of.

In a Nov. 2, 2019, article on The Hill website, national security veteran Christopher Mellon wrote an article titled “The Navy acknowledges UFOs – so why aren't they on Washington's radar?” Importantly, Mellon wrote that “unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP)” have “brazenly operated in restricted U.S. military airspace.” There are “ample warning lights flashing,” he wrote.

Credible UFO sightings, encounters and reports of various kinds have been well-documented in the U.S. and in countries around the world for decades. Beginning in the 1940s, and especially in the 1950s, UFOs were sighted around the U.S., including over Washington, DC, in the summer of 1952.

The recent news about the U.S. AATIP research informed the public more fully about the highly-unusual objects encountered by Navy fighter pilots at sea. But those reports by Navy pilots are really not much more unusual than previous accounts by other military pilots and personnel, public safety peace officers, other trained observers and reliable everyday people in many countries.

In Mexico and Brazil, in France and Belgium, and around the world, UFOs have been seen, encountered and documented by civilians, military and public safety personnel.

In one well-known case, on Sept. 19, 1976, multiple pilots of the Iranian Air Force encountered a UFO above Tehran (during the period when Iran and the U.S. were allies, before the Iranian Revolution). There were several encounters between the Iranian pilots and the UFO. This incident has been well-researched and is regarded as a case having extensive credible investigation and documentation.

In the more recent U.S. Navy incidents, three declassified videos from Navy jets recorded UAP off the west coast of the U.S. in 2004 and off the east coast in 2015. UFOs, or UAP, reportedly also were observed near U.S. naval forces during deployment to the Middle East.

In another report dated Nov. 12, 2019, by national security expert Mellon, he explored the situation further. Mellon wrote in his report titled “Potential Sources of Information Regarding Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon” that,  “… the U.S. Navy’s public recognition of the problem is an excellent first step towards mobilizing the military and the Intelligence Community to find answers regarding the identify of these vehicles and determine whether they pose a threat to the United States.”

Mellon wrote, “The UAP phenomenon off the East Coast of the US in recent years is unprecedented in terms of the number and appearance of the vehicles involved as well as their persistence in a specific geographic region.”

“It suggests not only a new level of brazenness or contempt for US defense and intelligence capabilities, but also the possibility that operations have advanced to a new stage towards some as yet unknown objective,” he said.

So, it seems Reagan had some insight about the threats to the human race. We apparently are now facing those two dangers he warned us about: 1) The destructive and self-destructive psychology and behavior of our leaders and ourselves as human beings, and 2) Other "alien" (or non-alien) races and/or other unconventional beings from elsewhere that might, or might not, have our best interests at heart.


(Related articles "Navy Research Project on Intuition" and "Human perception key in hard power, soft power, smart power" are posted on the CultureReady blog, Defense Language and National Security Education Office, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, U.S. Department of Defense.)