UAP disclosure not 'a sprint. It's a marathon': Ex-Pentagon official

(NewsNation) — On July 26, 2023, Navy pilot Ryan Graves, Navy Commander David Fravor and former Air Force intelligence officer David Grusch testified at a Congressional hearing heard around the world.

It was a “profound moment” for former Pentagon official Lue Elizondo to hear Grusch speak publicly about an alleged “multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse engineering program.”

“You had three military personnel testifying on the reality of UAP,” Elizondo said. “Now that's historic.”

For some, it felt like a dam was breaking and full disclosure was about to happen. But it didn’t work out like that.

First, the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, or AARO, denied Grusch’s claims. Then, as happened with Elizondo, details about Grusch’s past began to surface.

“They start seeing dissension, and they start misinformation and trying to question his loyalty ... his credibility,” Elizondo said. “And they try to discredit him just like they tried to do me, just like they try to anybody else who comes out and steps out of rank.” Reports citing police records obtained through public records requests noted that Grusch was committed to a mental health facility after making a “suicidal statement” when his wife suggested he seek help.

Grusch retained his security clearance despite those details. He later elaborated on his mental health struggles and told NewsNation it was hard coming home from Afghanistan and dealing with the loss of a friend.

Meanwhile, AARO publicly declared it has no evidence to support claims of a government UAP retrieval program.

UAPs captured on viral videos remain unidentified. The Pentagon says AARO will follow the data wherever it leads but hasn’t found credible evidence of extraterrestrial activity.

The Pentagon released a report in March saying there is no evidence of aliens or any cover-up of UFOs or aliens. Elizondo said he questions the credibility of the report’s author, former AARO Director Sean Kirkpatrick.

“What I can tell you is that what he was saying is not consistent with the truth,” Elizondo said. “And when someone like that blatantly tells you something that is not true, you’ve got a serious credibility problem.”

Elizando said members of Congress stated for the record they don’t believe Kirkpatrick was truthful, and the director of national intelligence did not endorse his report to Congress.

In response, Kirkpatrick told NewsNation, "At no time did I provide false information to Congress. In fact, my team and I provided actual evidence to back up all of our findings and research, something that all of the other claimants have failed to do."

Elizondo hasn’t testified before Congress but said he’s been asked.

“My response was, ‘Absolutely, I will testify,’” Elizondo said.

Defense Department spokesperson Sue Gough said Elizondo had no responsibilities within the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) while he was assigned to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security.

“To date, AARO has not discovered any verifiable information to substantiate claims that any programs regarding the possession or reverse-engineering of extraterrestrial materials have existed in the past or exist currently,” Gough said. “AARO welcomes the opportunity to speak with any former or current government employee or contractor who believes they have information relevant to the historical review.”

UFO believers push back on that sentiment, contending the Pentagon is running a disinformation campaign to discredit Elizondo.

Additionally, they believe Elizondo’s involvement in the UAP program at the Pentagon has been confirmed multiple times. Those include a letter from former Assistant Deputy Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Chris Mellon to Sen. Harry Reid that allegedly confirmed Elizondo’s specific role in AATIP. Also, internal Defense Department emails, since made public, also allegedly indicate that Elizondo was running AATIP.

Elizondo’s wife Jennifer Elizondo said her husband is driven by a sense that humanity is owed the information he’s sharing.

“People should know if we are not alone,” Jennifer Elizondo said. “No government has the right to keep that hidden.”

A growing number of people seem to agree, as interest in the UAP question intensifies both online and at UAP conferences around the country.

Other military officers have also come forward with similar claims. They include Rear Adm. Tim Gallaudet and Col. Karl Nell.

Meanwhile, UAP videos are popping up, showing suspected sightings over Puerto Rico, along the Arizona border and over an undisclosed conflict zone in the Middle East.

“This is more than intriguing, more than provocative, it’s potentially revolutionary and transformational,” said Chris Mellon, former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for intelligence.

Lue Elizondo encourages the public to get involved.

"Talk to your members of Congress,” he said. “Ask questions, whether it's around the dinner table or the water cooler.”

For now, it’s hard to know how much information may be revealed, he said.

“Disclosure isn't a sprint. It's a marathon. It's not going to happen overnight. Disclosure isn't an event. It's a process … I think this next generation — if our kids are any indicator of hope — that’s where real disclosure is going to occur.”