Pentagon: AFOSI Letter 85 on UFO Reporting
On February 8, 1950, the U.S. Air Force issued AFOSI Letter #85, instructing personnel to forward UFO sightings to the Pentagon or AMC solely if they held priority counterintelligence value.
Background
Background
On February 8, 1950, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) issued Letter No. 85. The document set out instructions to Air Force personnel regarding the reporting of UFO observations. Only cases of high counter-intelligence priority were to be reported to the Pentagon or the Air Materiel Command (AMC).
Details and Content
The letter aimed to standardise the flow of information and filter out unimportant reports. It reflects the early military position of treating UFOs primarily as potential security risks, particularly in the Cold War context. Sources such as Loren E. Gross in his UFO history document this in detail.
Significance
This instruction marks a turning point in the USAF's official handling of UFOs. It points to the focus on intelligence aspects and influenced later projects such as Project Grudge and Blue Book. No specific witnesses are named; this is an internal directive without a direct sighting.