A thank you note:

When Jake Mann, Jesse Springer and myself formed Skyfort.org and Skyfort LLC in 2021 with the guidance of our friend and mentor, Lue Elizondo, it was with the intention of creating a framework for professional, data driven problem solving that would move the greater conversation surrounding UAP from hushed water cooler conversations and into the bright lights of mainstream public perception.

We surveyed the historical successes and more importantly, failures of past efforts and attempted to apply humble and lasting solutions creating additive, unity based working groups focused on pragmatic deliverables and lasting relationships.

We saw a large community of dedicated amateur and professional researchers, scientists, investigators, defense officials, government and civilian leaders all waking up to a true paradigm shift; a community socializing itself in real time to historical and follow-on conclusions that would take time to find the masses…

Unidentified Aerial Phenomena and its ancillary nomenclature are in fact real and likely not of a completely human origin…

Furthermore, the investigation into UAP by the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community and Private Industry has been ongoing for 75 years, if not more. Until now, it has been invalidated, brushed aside and has internally resisted oversight and public reporting. No more.

With the passing of the Gillibrand Amendment, the foundational scaffolding of AOISMG, as well as scheduled classified and unclassified congressional briefings, “The Conversation’’ is now fully ensconced in the halls of leadership. Further, the first general schedule positions for program support are seeing the light of day.

When Skyfort formed we shared a mutual appreciation of a type of intellectual and moral “bushido” that I believe Cincinnatus would have approved of. My colleagues Jake and Jesse as well as our extended support network of friends and partners have maintained our commitment to not capitalizing on our positions for personal enrichment and thus are closing the doors of our “business” and ensuring that the “Gold Rush” perceived by many to be on the horizon of UAP studies does not taint the honest legacy we hope to leave behind.

This message isn’t about taking credit, it’s about giving thanks and shining a light on a team that gave countless hours of their family time and committed personal resources to help.

We would not be here without the support of our mentors, colleagues and friends. While the complete list of names would exceed the word count of this article, please allow me thank those who have significantly moved the ball and those who continue to expand the conversation.

The late Senator Harry Reid, Luis Elizondo, Christopher Mellon, Dr. Garry Nolan, Dean Allioto, George Knapp

Craig Labadie, Sean Munger, Esq, Robert Powell

Daniel Zetterstrom, Graeme Randall, Christopher Sharpe, Adam Goldsack, Vinnie Adams, Andy McGrillen, Dave Partridge

Dave Scott, Daniel Otis, Dave Rossi, Thomas Fessler, Rob Heatherly

Various bipartisan congressional staffers, Members of Congress, The Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF), The Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies (SCU), The Mutual UFO Network (MUFON)

Lastly, a special thanks all those following #UFOTwitter!

When extrapolated and unpacked without a pastiche of entertainment based hyperbole and fictionalization, this is a sobering and world changing topic for nearly eight billion people. We have seen a sea change unlike any other in the history of this incredibly important investigation. Please allow me to highlight to few major benchmarks all of us should be proud of:

• Academic support at the Ivy League level/Avi Loeb’s Galileo Project and team
• Major international coverage in print and digital media
• An explosion of grassroots citizen science, data collection and analysis
• A change in tone of prime-time “info-tainment” reducing stigma
• The continued maturation of a safe, modern context for witnesses and experiencers to come forth
• Mainstream science communicators, politicians and other thought leaders treating the subject with increased deference and dignity
• Lastly, as of writing this we are three days away from the first public congressional hearings on UAP/UFO in over fifty years.

In closing, it has been our honor and pleasure to work with a boundless spectrum of talented individuals that have the courage and heart to move this topic into a realm of truth that has meaning for all of us.

To me, a Sky Fort has always symbolized a place to safeguard our loftiest of goals… it is also a not so subtle nod to the very thing we seek to understand, the nature, origin and meaning of the anomalous objects and lights in our skies, our seas and our perceptions.

I hope you continue on the journey forward toward international inclusive awareness, but even if your goals are more local, I hope you will continue to share your ideas and aspirations for this topic and add your name to the roster of those aimed toward complete mission success for us all.

“Both men were at peace with their cause, seeking no greater glory than service itself. They reached a state where their internal compass controlled their external behavior.”

— Michael J. Hillyard, Cincinnatus and the Citizen-Servant Ideal: The Roman Legend’s Life, Times, and Legacy