Wright-Patterson AFB name-dropped in congressional hearing on UFOs

The Army has used the Dugway Proving Ground in Utah for testing of weapons. “Groom Lake” is a reference to an area that probably is better known as “Area 51,” a largely secret Nevada site where the Air Force has tested advanced planes and weapons.

The House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security hearing Wednesday featured testimony from witnesses such as former Air Force intelligence officer David Grusch and others.

Grusch, a retired Air Force major, in particular has been in the spotlight in recent weeks alleging that the Pentagon has concealed what he says has been a longstanding effort to secure and reverse-engineer unidentified flying objects. The Department of Defense has denied his claims.

For better or worse, Wright-Patterson has always loomed large in UFO lore, both now and in the past.

Aliens who supposedly crashed near Roswell, New Mexico in the late 1940s, along with their ship, have been said to be stored in a Wright-Patt hangar.

More recently, Grusch came to prominence earlier this year through a report that introduced as a supporting source a “Jonathan Grey,” which the report said was the name the source uses in his job at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson (The center is better known as “NASIC.”)

In response to questions from this newspaper, NASIC said it has no employee who uses that alias or professional identity.

Congressional leaders and members visit Wright-Patterson quite often.

In April, members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence visited the base for a closed meeting and discussion on funding and priorities.

Leaders of major intelligence agencies, such as CIA director Williams Burns, Avril Haines, director of national intelligence; and Gen. Paul Nakasone, director of the National Security Agency, and others were part of that gathering.