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Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick will be stepping down as the head of the Pentagon’s UFO investigation office in December, marking the end of his 27-year tenure with the Department of Defense and the US Intelligence Community. Kirkpatrick, who has been the director of the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) since its establishment, has expressed his readiness to retire, having achieved his objectives in the role.

The AARO, created by the Biden Administration in July 2022, was tasked with examining the surge in reports of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) from military aviators.

During Kirkpatrick’s oversight, the AARO has been tasked with aiding the detection of foreign surveillance devices and enhancing the transparency of the US government’s dealings with UAP/UFO phenomenon.

The office has also introduced a new system for military and government employees to report UAP encounters and has actively disseminated declassified UAP information to the public. These efforts have included launching a website that provides access to official sightings data, complete with images and videos dating back to 1945, demonstrating the department’s commitment to openness.

With Kirkpatrick’s departure, Tim Phillips will serve as the AARO’s deputy director until a permanent successor is appointed.