Kirkpatrick’s deputy, Tim Phillips, will lead the workplace in an appearing function till the Pentagon appoints a everlasting alternative, Kirkpatrick mentioned.
Kirkpatrick, a physicist, took on this function at AARO after spending many years in a wide range of scientific jobs for the Military.
Kirkpatrick’s tenure was marked by a excessive degree of public and congressional curiosity within the situation of UFOs and the potential for extraterrestrial life. The Biden administration created the workplace in July 2022, below Kirkpatrick’s management, to look into unidentified army plane that army pilots have more and more reported seeing within the skies, and whether or not they pose a nationwide safety menace. Since then, Kirkpatrick has investigated greater than 800 instances.
AARO has been within the information incessantly previously few months, Including for her role In serving to the USA uncover a fleet of Chinese language surveillance balloons.
Kirkpatrick himself made headlines this summer time when he responded to a whistleblower’s declare that the federal government was overlaying up a decades-long program to reverse engineer spacecraft. AARO had uncovered no proof to assist the declare, Kirkpatrick mentioned on the time, calling the feedback “insulting.”
The whistleblower, retired Air Pressure intelligence officer Maj. David Grosch, declined a number of requests for an interview with AARO, Kirkpatrick mentioned.
Nevertheless, lawmakers, witnesses and UFO lovers have continued to criticize what they name a scarcity of transparency on the a part of the federal government relating to the phenomenon.
However Kirkpatrick mentioned AARO has made strides on transparency, together with launching a long-awaited on-line instrument for former and present service members and authorities staff. To report Unidentified flying objects.
“Kirkpatrick has served the American individuals with honesty and integrity, taking over the very tough process of explaining the unknown,” Deputy Secretary of Protection Kathleen Hicks mentioned in an announcement. “His dedication to transparency with the USA Congress and the American public about UAP leaves a legacy that the Division will proceed to hold ahead whereas AARO continues its mission.”
One other memorable second got here when he co-authored a draft of a tutorial paper that posited that the unidentified objects being studied by AARO might be house probes from a mom ship despatched to review Earth.
Kirkpatrick mentioned the doc posted on-line was in draft type and he didn’t have permission to publish it. Nevertheless, he doesn’t remorse his involvement.
In truth, he believes that “the perfect factor to come back out of this job is proof that aliens exist” – as a result of the choice is a a lot larger downside.
“If we do not show they’re aliens, what we discover is proof of different individuals doing issues in our yard,” he mentioned. “And that is not good.”
