Opinion

America is right to investigate UAP claims, but that’s only the beginning

From classified briefings to a Navy mortician's unverified claim, why better questions matter more than speculation

By Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis, (ret.) Fox News

Published June 24, 2026 5:00am EDT

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Astrophysicist Avi Loeb explains government secrecy on UAPs

Astrophysicist Avi Loeb, a member of the UAP Governance Board, explains why the government maintains secrecy around unexplained aerial phenomena.

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A few days ago, while staying in Teton Village, Wyoming, a gentleman approached me because he had heard about my book, "Out of This World." Over coffee, he described years spent investigating more than 100 reports of unidentified aerial phenomena tied to rocket launches along Florida's Space Coast. Most proved explainable. A few did not.

Then he recounted a remarkable story involving a retired U.S. Navy officer who had served as a military mortician and claimed he had examined what he believed were the bodies of non-human beings. Rather than accepting or dismissing the account, I asked the questions any experienced analyst should ask: Where are the photographs? The laboratory reports? Who maintained the chain of custody? Can any of it be independently corroborated?

I asked him to reconnect with the retired officer and obtain answers. Until then, the account remains exactly what it is: an intriguing but unverified claim.

That conversation reminded me of something I learned over 24 years as an Army officer and another 22 years as a Pentagon strategist. The greatest danger in today's UAP debate is not government secrecy. It is public certainty.

'NON-HUMAN' BODIES ALLEGEDLY RECOVERED FROM CRASHED UFO, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER CLAIMS

A new office dedicated to studying UAP (UFO) sightings has finally secured full-funding in the upcoming 2024 defense budget. (Department of Defense)

Some have already decided unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) prove extraterrestrial visitation. Others insist every report is nonsense or simple........

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