John F. (Jay) Stratton Jr.

Positions on the chart (4)

• DIA Chief of Air & Space Warfare, Defense Warning Office Unverified
  Staff · Flowchart draft p.2 · Dates unverified
• AAWSAP Associated with related investigations Unverified
  Program · Flowchart draft p.2 · Specific role and dates unverified
• ONI Defense Intelligence Senior Executive; senior analyst Reported
  Staff · People Registry
• UAPTF Director, 2020–2021 Documented
  Leadership · People Registry · Evidence E001

Registry record

Past roles

Defense Intelligence Senior Executive, ONI; DIA Chief of Air and Space Warfare; UAPTF Director | V85: Chief of Air and Space Warfare, Defense Warning Office, DIA (dates unverified); ONI Senior Analyst, Nimitz Operational Intelligence Center (June 2021 biography).

Credentials

32+ years intelligence service; eight deployments; degree unverified

UAP involvement

Led UAPTF; involved in AAWSAP/AATIP efforts | V85: Elizondo reports Stratton approached him in June 2008 about AATIP; account attribution requires verification.

Principal disclosures

Claims encounters with non-human craft/beings and government concealment

Evidence contributed

Leadership of UAPTF; testimony; 2026 memoir; 2021 ODNI assessment from UAPTF era

Knowledge type

Mixed: direct claims and program knowledge

Corroboration

Official UAPTF records support leadership; extraordinary claims unverified

Assessment

Strong institutional credentials; non-human origin unverified

Last reviewed

2026-10-29

Evidence (9)

• UAP Task Force leadership CorroboratedFirsthand
  E001 · 2020-2021 · Official records
• Claims personal observation of non-human craft and beings UnverifiedFirsthand
  E002 · 2025-2026 · Public testimony
• Out of the Shadows memoir and concealment allegations Claim unverified
  E003 · 2026-10-13 · Book / testimony
• Stratton recounts unnamed test pilot and wingman observing and circling an apparent black cube near Edwards AFB UnverifiedSecondhand
  E117 · Date unknown · Book-attributed secondhand pilot testimony
• Sent team member to CSG-9 to collect data and electronically transmit it to NSWC Dahlgren UnverifiedFirsthand
  E120 · 2018–2019 (reported) · Retrospective firsthand account of investigative coordination
• Briefed Griffin and Porter in person about CSG-9 reported UAP activity ReportedFirsthand
  E121 · 2018–2020 (date unknown) · Retrospective firsthand briefing claim
• Stratton reports that he and his supervisor briefed Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on UAP; Esper reportedly directed Stratton to arrange meetings with the National Security Advisor and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ReportedFirsthand
  E143 · 2020-08-19 · Retrospective firsthand testimony
• Stratton characterizes Kirkpatrick media appearances as DoD-arranged disinformation intended to discredit legitimate UAP claims Alleged
  E153 · 2023-2024 · Attributed memoir allegation
• Stratton contends Kirkpatrick omitted or minimized prior AAWSAP/AATIP/UAPTF investigative work CorroboratedFirsthand
  E-AARO-01 · 2024-2026 · Attributed criticism