Issue #15 D.I.A. Answers F.O.I.A. - Alphabet Soup Of Information?...Not Quite

In this issue I am going to re-visit my investigation of the San Luis Obispo UFO Project Blue Book case from July 7, 1967. Those of you who have been following my progress on this case will probably be as shocked as I was that a response came back so quickly from the Defense Intelligence Agency. And not the usual first round brush-off...no, indeed I received a different type of response. I posted their response the day I received it on my Facebook page in PDF format, but I'm going to include it here in .jpg format as well.

What amazes me the most about this response is 1) They are claiming exemption from the statutory 20 day response time period because of "unusual circumstances" (does knowing the file number qualify as "unusual"?), and 2) They are admitting that they must consult "one or more other agencies". For those of you who don't speak bureaucrat-ese, let me give one possible interpretation; not being accustomed to fine-tuned requests about precise information, they must break out the adult-sized diaper, and then hand them out to a couple of friends (Dept. of Defense & USAF) whilst they try to figure out how much anyone might already know, and how much they must release, and how long can they get away without doing anything...1,139 ahead of me...really? I have a sneaky feeling I'll be contacting that request service center...I have LOTS of questions!

I hope this is giving you all some insight into the FOIA process, and remember DON'T GIVE UP and DON'T TAKE 'NO' FOR AN ANSWER!

Come back next week for the scoop on the Secret Space Program/Breakaway Civilization Conference in San Mateo July 28, 29th!

Issue #14 Special Issue #1

Every once in a while I'm so impressed with technology that I run across, that I have to share it with everyone right away. This happened to me yesterday while I was at Barnes & Noble buying some technical books in preparation for upcoming events this summer, and then again at Costco when I was shopping for luggage. Twice in one day. What a world.

So there I am standing in line at Barnes & Nobles with what felt like 80 pounds of books...all three of them, when I spy on the shelf behind the counter a rather large box with the words on it; "AR Drone 2.0". There is a picture on the box that looks like something out of "Avatar", so of course, I was interested! I asked the salesgirl how much it was and if I could please take a quick look at it, but inside I already knew that useful scientific instrument (not a toy) was coming home with me.

As you can see from the above picture, anybody with the maturity level of a 8 year old would instantly recognize the scientific potential for such a noble tool. After all...it shoots 1280 X 720 HD video and stills! Now, maybe your starting to understand why I'm not touting this as the obvious most-awesome-toy-ever, and instead thinking of it in the practical sense. Let's take a look inside the box...

Inside the box are the main body of the drone, the battery pack, battery charger, an outdoor hull, and (genius!) an indoor hull! If I ever move into the Taj Mahal I'll be able to video flying around indoors. Back to reality.

The AR Drone 2.0 is operated by either your iPhone, iPad, or iPod (also works with Android devices), boasts real-time video feedback and intuitive smart-phone control. Although it only has a range of 165 feet, it is quite useful for getting aerial pictures on-site instantly, and for scouting out an area before you approach it. Both are extremely valuable assets in the field, and the fact that you can now go into your local bookstore and buy a drone really is a sign of the times.

Parrot AR Drone 2.0 - Main Body

Of course, the battery has to be fully charged before you can operate the drone, so I won't be able to use any pictures or video from it this week to show you, but if you keep checking my Facebook page I'm sure I'll have some video up from it real soon! So now it's time to move on the second part of this special issue!

As some of you may know, I am going to be attending STAR Team Boot Camp in Wickenburg, Arizona in October. As a result, I figured it was about time to buy some new luggage. With all the trips out of town I'll be taking this summer, and then flying to Phoenix in October, I thought it would be best to give the 'ol backpack a rest. Besides, people seem to wonder about the machete. Anyway, as I made my way through all the tasty samples they have for people to try throughout Costco on my way to the luggage isle, I saw a display that actually made me stop in my tracks. It was the answer to every Field Investigator's anguished plea to the cosmos for some way to power all our gadgets in the field!

This wonderful piece of equipment is the Goal Zero Yeti 400, and when coupled with the accompanying solar panels, it can power and charge just about anything you have with in the field, and store up the juice to power your equipment at night! This unit is even powerful enough to power a television! But just in case you brought a road crew with you, and you have bigger needs (say a refrigerator), then the next model is for you.

This baby I call the "I thin I have a hernia" model. It weighs about 100 pounds, which for all intents and purposes would make impractical in the field. Except for one feature that is it's saving grace. This unit has wheels on the bottom, and a retractable handle so it's extremely easy to move around once it is unloaded from your vehicle. Just make sure that you have one of the "Expendables" around to lift the darn thing.

I myself, being a better thinker than lifter, purchased the Yeti 400 and 2 of the 15" solar panel components that go with it. I was looking for a way to power my smaller sound board and wireless microphone unit while videotaping in the field, and this fits all of my requirements. As a member of MUFON, I am always talking to people about alternative energy ideas, and new technologies that can help improve the human condition everywhere. Solar power units like this are affordable, lightweight, and provide a clean power source for people who might be in a remote location, anywhere in the world!

I hope this weeks "Special Edition" was informative, and enjoyable. It's not very often that I put what I had planned on "hold" for something else, but I was so impressed with both of these products that I felt it would be worth it...I hope you do too!

Don't forget to subscribe, share, like, and post everywhere (please!), but above all else, come back next week for more!

Issue #13 FOIA Filing Procedures

Welcome to Issue #13! I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support! The warm reception all of you have given my postings are deeply appreciated. It is my hope that The Field Investigator's Tool Box will continue to grow to be a valuable asset to all Field Investigators, and anyone interested in UFO's and related subjects. With that said, let me launch right into the topic this week...the procedure for filing an FOIA request.

Besides knowing where to send your FOIA request, one also needs to know the proper way to format your request so that you can obtain the maximum results. The following is an example of how to format a request.

Suggestions for formatting your FOIA request letter.

Keep in mind that if you choose to file online, you are giving consent to be monitored. Call me old fashioned, but for my purposes I'm going to help finance the pension of my mailman rather than give away my privacy rights.

Okay, so now you have some idea of how to frame your request, let me also include that you want to be as specific as possible as to what information you request. In my case, I'm fortunate enough to have a date, a location, and (I always save the best for last!) a Project Blue Book file number. In the case of copies of letters you might be requesting, don't forget to include the author of the letter, the recipient of the letter, and where any copies went to. Again, the more information you can provide, the better chance that your search can be narrowed down to what you are looking for. Of course, there is no guarantee that what you request can be released. Always keep in mind that if it is in the best interest of national security, it will remain classified. Following are three examples of where you would want to send your FOIA request. All of the following are associated with the Department of Defense...for some reason our interests are often found to be their interest's too, although officially they will never say so.

FOIA request information for the National Security Agency.

FOIA request information for the Defense Intelligence Agency.

FOIA request information for the Department of the Air Force.

After I publish today's issue, I'm going to go mail my requests so you won't hear any more about this until I hear some results...which I am hoping are going to be worth sharing!

Come back next week as I look at requests for information from local law enforcement, and civilian and military air installations.

I hope you all liked this weeks issue! Don't forget to share with all your friends, and 'click' "Follow" if you really like it! Thanks for all your support!

Issue #12 Them Or Us?

I'm going to take a break from the FOIA request topic this week, and focus on a question that must be considered with every good sighting report: Was it them or us?

It is well known that we both build, and test experimental aircraft. It is also well known that a large percentage, if not all of those experimental aircraft are designed and built under a blanket of complete secrecy. Anyone doubting the industry's ability to accomplish such a feat should consider the U2, the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, the Stealth Bomber, etc., to understand that it is not only possible, but it is usually the way that our advanced technologies are developed. This begs the question; how do we tell if it's made on Earth, or if it came from...somewhere else?

I read once (wish I could remember where) someone's opinion that "if it looks like it has seams, and you think you can see nuts and bolts, it's one of ours." At the time it made a little bit of sense to me, after all, surely even if we could duplicate their propulsion technology, we are still limited by our terrestrial fabrication processes...right? Or are we?

Let me take you back to 1979, and a personal sighting that I had in the city of Azusa, CA. Back in those days a lot of us musicians in the San Gabriel Valley area spent most of our time at a recording studio that used to be tucked away behind the "Shangri-La" strip club on the corner of Azusa and Arrow Highways, on the border of Azusa and West Covina. At one end of the building was Charvel Guitar's, where Eddie Van Halen used to work as a guitar tech, and on the other end was a fantastic sound studio, and a bunch of practice rooms. At the time my drummer and I were living in one of the practice rooms, which was a fairly common practice back then. In fact before us my friend Mark Oldham and Vince Neil (of Motley Crue fame) were living in it while they were playing in their band Rockandi. Diagonally across the street from the studio was a Market Basket grocery store that had a pretty good sized parking lot. It was as I was leaving the market one night with a girlfriend that I saw the most incredible sight in my young life.

It was around 9:00 in the evening as we left the market, and we were walking through the parking lot on our way to the intersection to cross the street when I noticed movement above me. My girlfriend and I stopped in our tracks as we both looked up in unison at the largest object either of us had ever seen as it silently moved over our heads. To say it was large does not do it justice. Battleships are large. This was immense. The foothills of Glendora run West to East perpendicular to Arrow Highway, and this craft was flying no higher than the foothills. We judged it to be at least a half-mile in width, and a minimum of a mile in length! Amazingly there wasn't a sound coming from it as it slowly drifted over us. By this time I became aware of whistles and hoots from other people in the parking lot, who obviously were witnessing the same thing that I and my girlfriend were. I clearly remember thinking: "Oh this is fantastic, everyone is seeing this! Now there is no way the government can deny these things exist! So many people saw this that it will be all over the news!" (The next day there wasn't a word about it in any newspaper or television story.) The underside of the craft had rectangular shapes jutting out at different angles, but no identifiable structures. There were no visible markings of any kind anywhere on it, and it was all a uniform metalic gray color. It slowly drifted to the east at about 30 MPH until it got over what appeared to be the San Dimas area, then it suddenly stretched into a pinpoint of light in the distance, and then was gone. That is the only way I've ever been able to describe it's departure.

Needless to say, what I saw was something that would change the way most people viewed the world. It was a little different for me since it was not my first experience, but none the less, it had a very profound effect upon me, and the course my life would take in the future. For many years I was of the belief that what I saw had to be from somewhere other than Earth, because I was not aware of any of the information that I am today. Now after reading so many other accounts, and hearing fantastic first-hand testimony from people like Jan Harzan who was at the meeting at Lockheed-Skunkworks when the CEO announced that "we have the technology to take ET home", I have to wonder if perhaps what I saw wasn't something on it's maiden voyage from Palmdale!

I'm going to use Travis Walton's abduction case for just a second as a comparison because 1) I've talked to him and I believe him 100%, and 2) The craft used is completely dissimilar and was witnessed by multiple people. That being said for those of you not familiar with Travis's case, he was abducted back in 1975 while doing forestry work in the mountains of Arizona, and the whole incident was witnessed by the rest of his work crew. The craft that was witnessed in this instance was the typical "saucer" type craft, and bears no similarity whatsoever to the craft that I saw in the Azusa sighting. I am also convinced that the occupants of the craft that took Travis were not from Earth, as was the case with Betty and Barney Hill. So here we have a very well documented case (I recommend Travis' book "Fire In The Sky: The Walton Experience to everyone!), and we can tie the design of the ship in conclusively to belonging to an extraterrestrial race. However the big behemoth that I saw is an "unknown". The only thing I know for sure about it is the fact that I've only seen it, or anything like it once. As far as who or what was inside...?

So I hope this week's installment stimulated a few neurons and provoked a little thought about just what we are seeing in our skies...is it us or them?

Come back next week for another installment, and please don't forget to "Follow" and "Share"!