[[Luis Elizondo]] is a former U.S. Army Counterintelligence Special Agent and former employee of the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence. He is a central figure in the effort to disclose information about [[Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena]] (UAP), due to his role leading the [[Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program]] (AATIP), a clandestine [[Pentagon]] program that studied the phenomenon.[^1] ### Early Life and Paternal Influence Elizondo's upbringing was unconventional and deeply shaped by his father, [[Luis D. Elizondo III]], a Cuban exile with a revolutionary past. His father had initially fought alongside Fidel Castro against the Batista regime, but turned against Castro after his alignment with the Soviet Union. This led to his participation in the [[Bay of Pigs]] invasion and a subsequent two-year imprisonment in Cuba, an experience that left him volatile and deeply anti-authoritarian. This background led him to provide his son with an intense and unusual education in paramilitary skills from the age of seven. Elizondo was taught to assemble and disassemble firearms like the AR-15 and AK-47, build rocket launchers from PVC pipes, read topographical maps, and even how to hot-wire a car. This was all part of his father's preparation for a planned, but never realized, second invasion of Cuba under an operation known as "Alpha 66."[^1] Struggling with dyslexia and bullying at school, Elizondo found structure and camaraderie in his high school's Junior ROTC program, which he credits with saving him from a self-destructive path. Despite his academic challenges, he enrolled in the pre-medical program at the University of Miami, double majoring in microbiology and immunology, before enlisting in the [[United States Army|US Army]] in 1995.[^1] ### Military and Intelligence Career Elizondo began his military career as a counterintelligence special agent, with his first assignment in South Korea. He later worked for the 902nd MI Group out of [[Fort Meade]], conducting counterintelligence investigations to protect sensitive U.S. technology. During this time, he was recruited by [[Eugene Lessman]] into the Army's "Great Skills" program (also known as Grey Fox), a successor to the [[Stargate Project]]. There, he was trained in the controversial technique of [[Remote Viewing]], a skill involving the use of extrasensory perception for intelligence gathering, which he reportedly utilized throughout his career.[^1] His career as an intelligence officer was extensive, involving missions across the globe focused on counterinsurgency, counternarcotics, counterterrorism, and counterespionage. He held positions within the [[Department of Defense]] (DoD), the [[Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive]] (ONCIX), the [[Office of the Director of National Intelligence]] (ODNI), and the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD). He eventually managed highly sensitive [[Special Access Programs]] (SAPs) for the [[National Security Council]] (NSC) and the White House, including running certain elements of the secret prison at [[Guantanamo Bay]], known as [[Camp 7]].[^1] ### Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) In early 2009, Elizondo was approached by [[Jay Stratton]] and a colleague, "[[Rosemary Caine]]," for a role in a highly classified [[Defense Intelligence Agency]] (DIA) program. He was introduced to [[Dr. James Lacatski]], a rocket scientist who revealed the program's true purpose: the investigation of UAP. The program was initially called the [[Advanced Aerospace Weapons System Applications Program]] (AAWSAP) and was funded by a bipartisan group of senators: [[Harry Reid]], [[Ted Stevens]], and [[Daniel Inouye]]. The primary contractor was [[Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies]] (BAASS), owned by [[Robert Bigelow]], with [[Harold "Hal" Puthoff]] serving as chief scientist.[^1] AATIP investigated numerous UAP cases, developing a framework of five key "observables" to analyze their behavior: hypersonic velocity, instantaneous acceleration, low observability, transmedium travel, and antigravity. A sixth observable, biological effects, was also noted. The program explored a wide range of phenomena, from the 2004 [[Tic Tac Incident]] to the [[Colares Incidents]] in Brazil and the strange occurrences at [[Skinwalker Ranch]].[^1] The program faced intense internal opposition. Elizondo recounts the existence of a powerful, shadowy group of religious fundamentalists within the DoD he calls the "[[Collins Elite]]." This group, he claims, believed the UAP phenomenon was demonic in nature and actively worked to sabotage the investigation. This, coupled with the existence of a deeply entrenched "Legacy Program" within the military-industrial complex that allegedly controlled recovered UAP materials and non-human biologics, created a nearly impossible working environment for AATIP.[^1] ### Personal Experiences and the "Hitchhiker Effect" Elizondo's involvement with AATIP was not without personal cost. He and his family began to experience strange phenomena in their own home, including sightings of green, glowing orbs that would float down their hallway and disappear into walls. This phenomenon, which he learned was not uncommon among those who investigate UAP, is known as the "hitchhiker effect." These experiences, along with the immense stress of the job, took a significant toll on his health and family life.[^1] ### Resignation and Public Disclosure Frustrated by the bureaucratic stonewalling, the refusal of the [[United States Air Force|US Air Force]] to cooperate, and the inability to brief senior leadership like Secretary of Defense [[James Mattis]], Elizondo resigned from the Pentagon on October 4, 2017. His resignation letter to Secretary Mattis, which was later made public, explicitly stated that the Department was not taking the potential threat posed by UAP seriously.[^1] Working with [[Christopher Mellon]] and [[Jim Semivan]], Elizondo went public. He was the primary source for a landmark New York Times article in December 2017 that disclosed the existence of AATIP and included the first official release of what would become known as the "[[Tic Tac]]," "[[GIMBAL]]," and "[[GoFast]]" UAP videos. This event ignited a global conversation and marked a pivotal moment for the disclosure movement.[^1] Post-resignation, Elizondo joined [[To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science]] (TTSA), founded by musician Tom DeLonge, and has worked relentlessly to advocate for UAP transparency. His efforts, in concert with Mellon and others, have been crucial in briefing members of Congress, which led directly to the creation of the [[All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office]] (AARO) and the passage of historic UAP disclosure legislation within the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).[^1] ### Footnotes [^1]: Elizondo, Luis. *Imminent*. William Morrow, 2024.