U.S. Marine Corps Releases UAP Information Sharing Policy to The Black Vault

July 25, 2024

The U.S. Navy / U.S. Marine Corps has released its policy and procedure for sharing UAP-related information with the Department of Defense’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO). This release follows a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by The Black Vault on April 14, 2024, and is similar to a different directive previously released to Mr. Douglas Dean Johnson in March 2024 by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The FOIA request sought “a copy of records (which includes videos/photos), electronic or otherwise, of all records that pertain to your agency’s policy and procedure on sharing information with the DoD’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO).” This included all policy, procedure, memorandum of understanding, memorandum of agreement, letters, other memos, etc., outlining the Navy’s policy on sharing information at any classification level with the AARO. The request also asked for any procedures adopted from prior efforts such as the UAP Task Force and the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group (AOIMSG).

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The newly released document from the U.S. Marine Corps, dated December 8, 2023, provides guidance specific to the Marine Corps while aligning with the previously released Joint Chiefs’ directive from May 2023.

The following are some key differences and updates.

The directive provided to Johnson emphasized the role of various combatant commands and services in reporting UAP incidents, requiring standardized reporting templates and transfer of data and materials to AARO.

The Marine Corps document reiterates these requirements but provides more detailed guidance specific to the Marine Corps. It mandates an OPREP-3 Special Incident Report (SIR) for any UAP incident, regardless of mission impacts.

The OPREP-3 SIR is a report used within the U.S. military to provide immediate notification of any significant incident that could attract national-level interest or affect national security. The OPREP-3 SIR ensures that high-level leadership are promptly informed about incidents that have substantial implications. In the context of UAP reporting, an OPREP-3 SIR is required for any UAP incident, regardless of mission impacts, to ensure timely and accurate reporting and facilitate appropriate responses.

The updated Marine Corps document also includes specific templates for reporting UAP incidents, data transfer, and material disposition, offering more detail geared towards Marine Corps implementation. These are also similar to the directive previously released.

Lastly, both documents stress the importance of notifying counterintelligence elements about UAP events. The Marine Corps document specifies that the Marine Corps Operations Center (MCOC) will notify the service’s counterintelligence element within the Deputy Commandant for Information about all UAP-related events.

While the document closely aligns with the previously released directive to Johnson, it incorporates detailed guidance tailored to the Marine Corps, highlighting the evolving nature of UAP reporting protocols and the emphasis on inter-agency coordination and information sharing.

The Black Vault has targeted nearly every military branch and agency that may share information with AARO, seeking out policy and procedure documentation. While some responses thus far have yielded a “no records” response (which will be reported on later), others are still being processed, indicating there may be responsive records still to come to light.

Additional releases will be published as they become available.

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