A newly disclosed 2023 Department of Defense (DoD) document reveals deep internal resistance to a proposed system for reporting Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP)-highlighting a growing divide between Congressional transparency efforts and Pentagon secrecy.
The document, an internal DoD language appeal filed under FOIA case 23-F-0241, responds to a House provision in Section 1663 of the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act. The proposal sought to establish a “secure system” that would allow personnel to report any UAP-related incidents or programs, including those covered by Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) or classified waivers.
The system, to be operated by cleared officials within the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), would be publicly acknowledged and easily accessible-according to the bill. But the DoD was not having it.
🏛️ A Public Portal for Secrets?
The House’s language mandated that all departments-especially the Department of Defense-must perform comprehensive record searches for UAP-related NDAs, orders, or obligations, and make those records available to Congress.
The proposal was designed to empower whistleblowers and break the longstanding silence surrounding classified UAP programs. It aimed to override the fear of legal consequences for those bound by restrictive security oaths.
However, the DoD swiftly pushed back, arguing that the system could “intrude on the President’s constitutional authority” to control classified information. In their appeal, Pentagon officials warned the provision would expose classified and potentially compartmented intelligence by requiring public-facing infrastructure to handle sensitive material.
The department claimed this could create “national security and counterintelligence risks.”
🤫 AARO’s Limited Latitude
Although the DoD emphasized shared goals-namely the protection of whistleblowers and classified disclosures-it stressed that existing authorities already provide such mechanisms under Executive Orders 13526 and 12968.
It also cited concerns that naming public-facing AARO officials as “widely known” and “easily accessible” could threaten their personal safety and security, given the polarized nature of the UAP discourse.
Even more critically, the DoD pushed back on the House’s requirement to search for and release decades-old nondisclosure agreements and legal instruments-stating that such searches would be resource-intensive and legally ambiguous under the Privacy Act.
⚖️ Congressional Tug-of-War
While the Senate version of the NDAA did not include a similar measure, the Senate Intelligence Committee’s draft of the Intelligence Authorization Act did echo some of the House’s language, suggesting at least some bipartisan traction for greater transparency.
The Pentagon, however, urged the provision be either dropped or “revised to address concerns.” Despite its stated openness to working with Congress, the Department maintained that building a completely new reporting infrastructure would divert critical resources from AARO-a newly established entity still finding its footing.
🧩 Why It Matters
The appeal memo encapsulates a broader battle now unfolding in Washington: whether long-classified programs-possibly spanning decades and involving private contractors-should finally be exposed to public scrutiny.
Advocates say these systems could unlock long-buried truths about crash retrievals, legacy reverse engineering efforts, or suppressed technological advances. Critics in the Pentagon say the price of transparency may be too high-jeopardizing national security and decades of compartmentalized intelligence.
In the meantime, the public remains caught between two narratives: one of long-overdue disclosure, and another of high-stakes secrecy.
