The American magazine "Politico" has highlighted the question of whether extraterrestrial beings are "a reality that can be proven," as part of the mission of the Office for the Resolution of Anomalous Cases. This office, established by the Pentagon in July 2022, is led by physicist Sean Kirkpatrick (55 years old), its first director. The magazine notes that Kirkpatrick has been tasked with studying "unidentified aerial phenomena" reported by military pilots over the past 18 months.
Kirkpatrick has developed a comprehensive system for collecting information and has spent significant time reviewing reports of unidentified aerial sightings. He has refuted claims made by whistleblowers that the government has covered up a program to examine spacecraft. In the interview, Kirkpatrick discussed his upcoming departure from the position in December and his efforts to "institutionalize the necessary resolution to understand these anomalies."
According to "Politico," the Pentagon has a genuine interest in unraveling the mystery behind the sharp increase in unidentified vehicles spotted by military pilots; if they are not extraterrestrial, they could belong to foreign adversaries presenting new threats. Kirkpatrick, who has worked in defense intelligence for decades, believes we are not alone in this universe. He co-authored a controversial paper regarding mother ships and emphasizes the importance of analyzing phenomena scientifically. He stated, "If you are talking to NASA or the European Space Agency about searching for life in the universe, that’s a serious, objective discussion. As that discussion approaches the solar system, around Mars, it becomes science fiction. When it gets closer to Earth and crosses its atmosphere, it turns into conspiracy theory."
He added that part of his future work would focus on "raising the level of discussion" about these unidentified objects. When asked about his reasons for leaving his position, Kirkpatrick said, "When I took the job, I promised to do this for a year, and then we would reassess. I decided to stay until the end of this year, because there are more things I need to finish." He explained that "one of these things is completing the first part of the historical review (required by law), which includes all the people who were interviewed who came to speak with us. Then presenting that as follows: this is what we have been able to prove is true, and this is what we have been able to prove is false, in the form of a very thorough and objective study." He noted that the legal requirements for the historical report are not mandatory until June.
Kirkpatrick revealed, "So I decided, due to my desire to achieve more transparency faster, that I would finish part one, and that the second part would be completed next year." The first part covers all unidentified objects that appeared until about last month, while the second part will address anything that emerges since the office's website began accepting reports.
Kirkpatrick commented, "I postponed my retirement because it was requested of me. I set these goals, and it's been about 18 months, and I'm ready to leave; I've accomplished everything I said I would." He expects no significant changes to the Office for the Resolution of Anomalous Cases after his departure, stating, "The team has done an incredible job laying the groundwork for the vision I established and how to implement it. Whoever succeeds me will come to execute what remains of that."
Regarding whether the testimony from whistleblowers, the incident involving the Chinese spy balloon, or delays in launching the website contributed to his decision to resign, Kirkpatrick stated: "No, these are all expected challenges. The balloon is a very interesting incident for trying to understand the difference between the identified defined anomaly—if you will—and the unknown anomaly." He continued, "Our job is harder than just saying: hey, there's a Chinese spy balloon, do you know what it is? What is it doing? That is not our job. Our job is to understand the unknown, what could be out there, what threats exist, and how we get to it."
Kirkpatrick believes the controversy surrounding the office's website stems from "bureaucracy." He said, "There is no easier way to put it. It took a long time to launch the website simply because it is difficult to get something approved in an institution where everyone has to look at it and ensure it meets their specific requirements." He added, "By the way, we're talking about a government website, where there are privacy concerns, transparency concerns, and concerns about how data is used. We must ensure that we comply with all these regulations and laws, and that takes time."
Regarding whistleblowers, Kirkpatrick mentioned that more than 30 individuals came to the Office for the Resolution of Anomalous Cases and spoke with them. He confirmed that the office has investigated all reports submitted. He noted, "David Grusch is a unique example because he refused to come forward and share any information," referring to the Air Force officer and former intelligence official. He continued, "We still have not been able to persuade him (Grusch) to come forward. I sent five different people to convince him."
On his biggest achievements during his tenure, Kirkpatrick stated he had laid out a plan about 18 months ago for how to succeed in the mission and institutionalize the resolution for understanding anomalies. He explained that the plan encompasses various areas, including analysis, execution, science and technology, and strategic communication for information exchange. Kirkpatrick expressed that the office "unified the analytical framework for how to approach sightings with a high degree of accuracy, and it has now succeeded in applying this framework while working to increase the number of cases that are uncovered."
Regarding the existence of extraterrestrials, Kirkpatrick said, "That’s a great question; I love that question. The first thing is that the best outcome from this job would be proving that extraterrestrials exist, right? Because if we do not prove that extraterrestrial beings exist, then what we find is evidence of other people doing things in our backyard, and that’s not good." He added, "The second thing: scientifically, the scientific community would agree that it is statistically incorrect to believe that there are no extraterrestrial beings in the universe, no matter how vast the universe, the number of galaxies, solar systems, and planets," clarifying that part of NASA's mission is to "search for these beings."
Kirkpatrick thinks that the likelihood of these beings being intelligent, having discovered Earth, reached it, or crashed multiple times in the U.S. is very unlikely. He stated that part of his efforts involves "raising the level of discussion" on this matter. He concluded, "We need to change the overall level of discourse, and that is one of the reasons we are engaging academic circles to work on a number of scientific studies focusing on the possibility of these entities."
Regarding his next steps, Kirkpatrick indicated he is currently considering several options, including shifting to the consulting field, taking on an administrative role, or collaborating with friends in the space, science, technology, and intelligence communities.
