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Show M S February 5, 2015 Files declassified: UFO investigations in Utah By MITCH SHAW PROJECT 10073 RECORD Hilltop Times correspondent 1. DATE TIME GROUP 2 ]CATION 25 May 1949 25/1405(L) H ILL AIR FORCE BASE — Once upon a time, the United States Air Force spent time and money chasing flying saucers, extraterrestrial beings and other unexplained phenomena reported to be occupying our skies. Although those days have long since vanished, recently released documents — which many in the UFO community consider to be Holy Grail — now allow anyone with Internet access to relive the days when UFOs were considered enough of a national security threat for the Defense Department to conduct thousands of investigations on reported sightings. In January, the Air Force's fabled "Project Blue Book" was released in a searchable online archive by UFO aficionado and government open-records crusader John Greenewald. Project Blue Book contains nearly 130,000 pages of official Air Force UFO records documenting almost 13,000 UFO sightings (701 of which remain unidentified) across the country between 1947 and 1969. Greenewald pursued the records for nearly two decades. After filing countless Freedom of Information Act requests, he released them on his website, theblackvault.com, on Jan. 12. 3. SOURCE 1. NUIARER Military AIRCRAFT OF OBJECTS •— Two S. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 1 M1F11405 6. TYPE OF OBSERVATION Ground-Visual 7. COURSE e. PHOTOS Kill AFB, Utah i O. CONCLUSION No data presorted to indicate objects could NoT have been A/C. 11. BRIEF SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS Objects had the sound of a/c in tha area. 1 was dullsilver, the other was blue on one side, silver on other sido. 1 was circular disc shaped, the other circular. Both objects was traveling to the South. both object° was reflecting sunlight. South 0 V.. rf,Ne 9. PHYSICAL EVIDENCE Y.s FTD_Srp Al_0-32 .9 (TOE) F.. , w..eia.n../,RI. p...i.,..I'..n ~ . To.2 LS No INc Rwcomnima LW. V DATE Dram wOuTWO TO 6/{i/49 COROWn 14JS•IWWW Ho • DAT W kWTAOLI2m.r0 MY 1100 DAT., I I Courtesy of U.S. Air Force OTHER OlOPC•ITION The Air Force investigated this UFO sighting in 1966 in Ohio. •••• CLMTROLNO Ltr - DtCIM .L . Greenewald, who is now 33, says he filed his first FOIA request when he was just 15 years old. He says his site features more than 1.3 million declassified government documents that he's compiled since 1996. The subject matter is dense and covers a variety of different topics ranging from celebrity FBI files to the Cold War and biological and chemical weapons. Though he's passionate about UFO material, Greenewald told the Washington Post his real aim is to inform. He says he will pursue any government secret he can. The Project Blue Book has been available for research in the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C., but even for those who had the means to travel to it, the file has been extremely hard to navigate. According to the National Archives and Records Administration, the Blue Book file includes "approximately two cubic feet of unarranged project or administrative files, 37 cubic feet of case files where individual sightings are arranged chronologically, and three cubic feet of records relating to the Office of Special Investigations." A cubic - 391 rROMi -ro: Project G'Rt,-:.s C3 F.. SD•CLS1 IA4 I F°1-4°W UP ON 00 DAryo 6/7/49 No. INCI. Rtconoirro • :;:•701.1:m.• FtLg K Ro u T t o IA AS TO WV .P1 .c STA q rsmco OV wTE ,..1 o..,..„ 111 11.1 Min OTHER ........ I ." Courtesy of U.S. Air Force This document contains information on a 1949 sighting in Utah. foot of records translates to about 2,000 pages. But now, with just a few strokes on a computer keypad and a couple of mouse clicks, the information is more accessible than it's ever been. Although searching through See UFO I Page 11 Warrior Fitness Center's climbing 101 enhances morale, teaches safe climbing BY SARAH STOLL Hilltop Times correspondent HILL AIR FORCE BASE — Each week for most of the year — except for a break during summer months — a free Climbing 101 course is offered at the Warrior Fitness Center for those who are eligible to work out in the WFC and who are over the age 13. A dedicated team of volunteers manages the wall and climbing program and has fine-tuned the language of this class to make it easy to follow, fun to learn and adheres to industry standards. Students learn climbing standards that are the same across the state. They could go to any gym and use their knowledge on other climbing walls. On Jan. 22, class members gathered to learn the basics of climbing. Safety was a key topic and, as instructors pointed out, climbing can be the safest activity done in the gym — if done correctly. It can also be the most dangerous if done incorrectly — which is why this class is critical. According to Eli Whitman, Di- rector of the Community Services Flight, all participants learn to use the harness, tie their ropes, conduct proper safety checks and belay "using the PBUS system (Pull, Break, Under, Slide)" — an acronym to remember the steps of proper belaying. "Our team hopes that participants enjoy the 43-foot Entre-Prises artificial climbing structure and might be inspired to make climbing part of their life, enhancing their morale and resiliency," said Whitman. "Additionally, we want participants to remember that they must never forget the critical criteria for safe climbing." Instructors had a charismatic rhythm to the class that captured participants' attention and displayed an approachable attitude that welcomed questions from new climbers. Explanations were clear and laid out step-by-step, and a helping hand was always available. The course offered a hands-on approach, allowing participants to listen to and watch instructors and then practice their new skills on their own until they felt com- fortable. The McPartland family (Retired Military) participated on Jan. 22 because they have an 11-year-old who would like to climb. They are the type of parents who like to experience what their child is interested in and test it out, so they signed up for Climbing 101 to learn the ropes. Even on her first time up, Donna McPartland said she could feel how intense an upper-body workout climbing is and hopes to add it to her workout routine. "If I can do it, anybody can do it!" she said. Classes are hosted for free in the WFC; participants need to wear clothing that does not restrict movement, but all other equipment is provided. Classes are generally made up of eight participants. Register by visiting www.75thforcesupport.com/content/ fitness-centers, selecting the date you can participate and entering your information if that time slot is available. For more information about Climbing 101 or the climbing wall in the WFC, call 801-777-2762. SARAH STOLL/Hilltop Times Most weeks of the year, a Climbing 101 course is offered at the Warrior Fitness Center for those who are eligible to work out in the WFC and who are over the age 13. A team of volunteers manages the wall and climbing program and has fine-tuned the verbiage of this class to make it easy to follow, fun to learn and applicable to industry standards. |