Garry Reid

Garry Reid is a former Department of Defense (DoD) official who served as the Director of Operations for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and later as a senior leader in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence (OUSD(I)). He is described by Luis Elizondo as a significant antagonist who actively worked to obstruct the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) and later launched a campaign of reprisal against Elizondo after his resignation.¹

Opposition to AATIP and Luis Elizondo

According to Elizondo, Garry Reid was part of a hostile leadership environment within the OUSD(I) that was determined to undermine and dismantle AATIP. After Elizondo resigned from the Pentagon in October 2017 and addressed his resignation letter to Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Reid allegedly intercepted the letter and confronted Elizondo, threatening to damage his career and security clearance.¹

Following Elizondo's public disclosure of AATIP, Elizondo wrote that Reid launched a "scorched-earth" campaign against him. This included seizing his computers and files, questioning his former employees, and launching a criminal inquiry with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) into the release of the three declassified UAP videos. This investigation ultimately found no wrongdoing on Elizondo's part. Reid was also allegedly responsible for the Pentagon's public statements that falsely denied Elizondo's involvement with AATIP.¹

Inspector General Investigation

Garry Reid was the subject of a Department of Defense Inspector General (IG) investigation into numerous allegations, including maintaining an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate, sexual harassment, and fostering a hostile work environment. The IG eventually concluded that Reid had violated Joint Ethics Regulations. He was later reassigned from the OUSD(I) to the DIA as a "special advisor."¹