[[Jay Stratton]] is a former US Navy intelligence officer who played a crucial role in the [[Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program]] (AATIP) and later became the first director of the [[UAP Task Force]]. He was instrumental in recruiting [[Luis Elizondo]] into the UAP investigation effort and was a key investigator and strategist throughout the process.[^1] ### Recruitment of Luis Elizondo In early 2009, Jay Stratton, along with a colleague, approached [[Luis Elizondo]] to recruit him for a highly classified program at the [[Defense Intelligence Agency]] (DIA). Stratton, who Elizondo pegged as a fellow special operator, explained that the program, initially known as [[AAWSAP]], was focused on "unconventional technologies" and required a senior intelligence officer to handle counterintelligence and security.[^1] ### Role in AATIP Stratton was a core member of the AATIP team and a key investigator. He was the lead investigator of the 2004 [[Tic Tac Incident]] involving the [[USS Nimitz]] Carrier Strike Group, writing a detailed report on the event that became a cornerstone of the program's research. He was also responsible for drafting OPLAN Interloper, an ambitious plan to use a carrier strike group as bait to lure UAP for observation and data collection.[^1] When AATIP faced internal opposition and lost its funding, Stratton worked with Elizondo to move the remnants of the program under Elizondo's portfolio of national programs to ensure its survival. He also successfully secured an additional $10 million in funding from Senator [[Harry Reid]], though the funds were later absconded by another DoD program.[^1] ### UAP Task Force After Elizondo's resignation from the Pentagon, Stratton remained in the government and was tasked by Navy intelligence leadership to build a whole-of-government interagency task force to continue the UAP investigation. This effort, which he built from the ground up, became the Pentagon's [[UAP Task Force]], and Stratton was named its first director. In this role, he continued to push the UAP issue forward within the government, briefing members of Congress and the White House National Security Council, and laying the groundwork for future legislative action.[^1] ### Footnotes [^1]: Elizondo, Luis. *Imminent*. William Morrow, 2024.