blue book.docx
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blue book.docx
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bluebook
TheCaptainRuppeltera
AccordingtoCaptainEdwardJ.Ruppelt,bytheendof1951,severalhigh-ranking,veryinfluentialUSAFgeneralsweresodissatisfiedwiththestateofAirForceUFOinvestigationsthattheydismantledProjectGrudgeandreplaceditwithProjectBlueBookinearly1952.OneofthesemenwasGen.CharlesP.Cabell.AnotherimportantchangecamewhenGeneralWilliamGarlandjoinedCabell'sstaff;GarlandthoughttheUFOquestiondeservedseriousscrutinybecausehehadwitnessedaUFO[2].
Thenewname,ProjectBlueBook,wasselectedtorefertothebluebookletsusedfortestingatsomecollegesanduniversities.Thenamewasinspired,saidRuppelt,bythecloseattentionthathigh-rankingofficersweregivingthenewproject;itfeltasifthestudyofUFOswasasimportantasacollegefinalexam.BlueBookwasalsoupgradedinstatusfromProjectGrudge,withthecreationoftheAerialPhenomenonBranch.[3]
Ruppeltwasthefirstheadoftheproject.Hewasanexperiencedairman,havingbeendecoratedforhiseffortswiththeArmyAirCorpsduringrWorldWarII,andhavingafterwardsearnedanaeronauticsdegree.Heofficiallycoinedtheterm"UnidentifiedFlyingObject",toreplacethemanyterms("flyingsaucer""flyingdisk"andsoon)themilitaryhadpreviouslyused;Ruppeltthoughtthat"unidentifiedflyingobject"wasamoreneutralandaccurateterm.RuppeltresignedfromtheAirForcesomeyearslater,andwrotethebookTheReportonUnidentifiedFlyingObjects,whichdescribedthestudyofUFOsbyUnitedStatesAirForcefrom1947to1955.Swordswritesthat"RuppeltwouldleadthelastgenuineefforttoanalyzeUFOs"[4].
Ruppeltimplementedanumberofchanges:
HestreamlinedthemannerinwhichUFOswerereportedto(andby)militaryofficials,partlyinhopesofalleviatingthestigmaandridiculeassociatedwithUFOwitnesses.RuppeltalsoorderedthedevelopmentofastandardquestionnaireforUFOwitnesses,hopingtouncoverdatawhichcouldbesubjecttostatisticalanalysis.HecommissionedtheBattelleMemorialInstitutetocreatethequestionnaireandcomputerizethedata.Usingcasereportsandthecomputerizeddata,BattellethendidamassivescientificandstatisticalstudyofallAirForceUFOcases,completedin1954andknownas"ProjectBlueBookSpecialReportNo.14"(seesummarybelow).
KnowingthatfactionalismhadharmedtheprogressofProjectSign,Ruppeltdidhisbesttoavoidthekindsofopen-endedspeculationthathadledtoSign’spersonnelbeingsplitamongadvocatesandcriticsoftheextraterrestrialhypothesis.AsMichaelHallwrites,"Ruppeltnotonlytookthejobseriouslybutexpectedhisstafftodosoaswell.Ifanyoneunderhimeitherbecametooskepticalortooconvincedofoneparticulartheory,theysoonfoundthemselvesofftheproject."[5]Inhisbook,Ruppeltreportedthathefiredthreepersonnelveryearlyintheprojectbecausetheywereeither"toopro"or"toocon"onehypotheisoranother.Ruppeltsoughttheadviceofmanyscientistsandexperts,andissuedregularpressreleases(alongwithclassifiedmonthlyreportsformilitaryintelligence).
EachU.S.AirForceBasehadaBlueBookofficertocollectUFOreportsandforwardthemtoRuppelt[6].DuringmostofRuppelt'stenure,heandhisteamwereauthorizedtointerviewanyandallmilitarypersonnelwhowitnessedUFOs,andwerenotrequiredtofollowthechainofcommand.ThisunprecedentedauthorityunderlinedtheseriousnessofBlueBook'sinvestigation.
UnderRuppelt'sdirection,BlueBookinvestigatedanumberofwell-knownUFOcases,includingtheso-calledLubbockLights,andawidelypublicized1952radar/visualcaseoverWashingtonD.C..AccordingtoJacquesVallee[7],Ruppeltstartedthetrend,largelyfollowedbylaterBlueBookinvestigations,ofnotgivingseriousconsiderationtonumerousreportsofUFOlandingsand/orinteractionwithpurportedUFOoccupants.
AstronomerDr.J.AllenHynekwasthescientificconsultantoftheproject,ashehadbeenwithProjectsSignandGrudge.HeworkedfortheprojectuptoitsterminationandinitiallycreatedthecategorizationwhichhasbeenextendedandisknowntodayasCloseencounters.Hewasapronouncedskepticwhenhestarted,butsaidthathisfeelingschangedtoamorewaveringskepticismduringtheresearch,afterencounteringafewUFOreportshethoughtwereunexplainable.
RuppeltleftBlueBookinFebruary1953foratemporaryreassignment.Hereturnedafewmonthslatertofindhisstaffreducedfrommorethanten,totwosubordinates.Frustrated,RuppeltsuggestedthatanAirDefenseCommandunit(the4602ndAirIntelligenceServiceSquadron)bechargedwithUFOinvestigations.
[edit]Robertsonpanel
Mainarticle:
RobertsonPanel
InJuly1952,afterabuild-upofhundredsofsightingsoverthepreviousfewmonths,aseriesofradardetectionscoincidentwithvisualsightingswereobservedneartheNationalAirportinWashington,D.C.(see1952WashingtonD.C.UFOincident).FutureArizonaSenatorand2008presidentialnomineeJohnMcCainisallegedtobeoneofthesewitnesses[citationneeded].
Aftermuchpublicity,thesesightingsledtherCentralIntelligenceAgencytoestablishapanelofscientistsheadedbyDr.H.P.Robertson,aphysicistoftheCaliforniaInstituteofTechnology,whichincludedvariousphysicists,meteorologists,andengineers,andoneastronomer(Hynek).TheRobertsonPanelfirstmetonJanuary14,1953inordertoformulatearesponsetotheoverwhelmingpublicinterestinUFOs.
Ruppelt,Hynek,andotherspresentedthebestevidence,includingmoviefootage,thathadbeencollectedbyBlueBook.Afterspending12hoursreviewing6yearsofdata,theRobertsonPanelconcludedthatmostUFOreportshadprosaicexplanations,andthatallcouldbeexplainedwithfurtherinvestigation,whichtheydeemednotworththeeffort.
Intheirfinalreport,theystressedthatlow-grade,unverifiableUFOreportswereoverloadingintelligencechannels,withtheriskofmissingagenuineconventionalthreattotheU.S.Therefore,theyrecommendedtheAirForcede-emphasizethesubjectofUFOsandembarkonadebunkingcampaigntolessenpublicinterest.Theysuggesteddebunkerythroughthemassmedia,includingTheWaltDisneyCompany,andusingpsychologists,astronomers,andcelebritiestoridiculethephenomenonandputforwardprosaicexplanations.Furthermore,civilianUFOgroups"shouldbewatchedbecauseoftheirpotentiallygreatinfluenceonmassthinking…Theapparentirresponsibilityandthepossibleuseofsuchgroupsforsubversivepurposesshouldbekeptinmind."
Itistheconclusionofmanyresearchers[6][8]thattheRobertsonPanelwasrecommendingcontrollingpublicopinionthroughaprogramofofficialpropagandaandspying.TheyalsobelievetheserecommendationshelpedshapeAirForcepolicyregardingUFOstudynotonlyimmediatelyafterwards,butalsointothepresentday.ThereisevidencethatthePanel'srecommendationswerebeingcarriedoutatleasttwodecadesafteritsconclusionswereissued(seethemainarticlefordetailsandcitations).
InDecember1953,JointArmy-Navy-AirForceRegulationnumber146madeitacrimeformilitarypersonneltodiscussclassifiedUFOreportswithunauthorizedpersons.Violatorsfaceduptotwoyearsinprisonand/orfinesofupto$10,000.
[edit]AftermathofRobertsonpanel
Inhisbook(seeexternallinks)RuppeltdescribedthedemoralizationoftheBlueBookstaffandthestrippingoftheirinvestigativedutiesfollowingtheRobertsonPanel.AsanimmediateconsequenceoftheRobertsonPanelrecommendations,inFebruary1953,theAirForceissuedRegulation200-2,orderingairbaseofficerstopubliclydiscussUFOincidentsonlyiftheywerejudgedtohavebeensolved,andtoclassifyalltheunsolvedcasestokeepthemoutofthepubliceye.
Thesamemonth,investigativedutiesstartedtobetakenonbythenewlyformed4602ndAirIntelligenceSquadron(AISS)oftheAirDefenseCommand.The4602ndAISSwastaskedwithinvestigatingonlythemostimportantUFOcaseswithintelligenceornationalsecurityimplications.TheseweredeliberatelysiphonedawayfromBlueBook,leavingBlueBooktodealwiththemoretrivialreports.
GeneralNathanTwining,whogotProjectSignstartedbackin1947,wasnowAirForceChiefofStaff.InAugust1954,hewastofurthercodifytheresponsibilitiesofthe4602ndAISSbyissuinganupdatedAirForceRegulation200-2.Inaddition,UFOs(called"UFOBs")weredefinedas"anyairborneobjectwhichbyperformance,aerodynamiccharacteristics,orunusualfeatures,doesnotconformtoanypresentlyknownaircraftormissiletype,orwhichcannotbepositivelyidentifiedasafamiliarobject."InvestigationofUFOswasstatedtobeforthepurposesofnationalsecurityandtoascertain"technicalaspects."AFR200-2againstatedthatBlueBookcoulddiscussUFOcaseswiththemediaonlyiftheywereregardedashavingaconventionalexplanation.Iftheywereunidentified,themediawastobetoldonlythatthesituationwasbeinganalyzed.BlueBookwasalsoorderedtoreducethenumberofunidentifiedtoaminimum.
Allthiswasdonesecretly.ThepublicfaceofBlueBookcontinuedtobetheofficialAirForceinvestigationofUFOs,buttherealitywasithadessentiallybeenreducedtodoingverylittleseriousinvestigation,andhadbecomealmostsolelyapublicrelationsoutfitwithadebunkingmandate.Tociteoneexample,bytheendof1956,thenumberofcaseslistedasunsolvedhaddippedtobarely0.4percent,fromthe20to30%ithadbeenonlyafewyearsearlier.
Eventually,Ruppeltrequestedreassignment;athisdepartureinAugust1953,hisstaffhadbeenreducedfrommorethanten(precisenumbersofpersonnelvaried)tojusttwosubordinatesandh
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