Testimony Describes Multiple Vandenberg Encounters
Jeffrey Nuccetelli, a former U.S. Air Force military police officer, told a House Oversight Committee hearing that he witnessed and investigated several unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) incidents at Vandenberg Air Force Base between 2003 and 2005. Nuccetelli, who said he served in the Air Force for 16 years, described reports involving large, silent objects near missile-launch and defense facilities. His testimony focused on what he characterized as repeated encounters involving military personnel, contractors and security staff.
The most prominent account concerned an incident on October 14, 2003, when Boeing contractors reportedly observed a “massive glowing red square” hovering over two missile-defense sites. According to Nuccetelli, the object remained silent before drifting eastward and disappearing. He said records related to the event were held by the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) and the FBI. However, the hearing summary did not provide documentary evidence, agency statements or independently verified records confirming the reported sighting.
Additional Encounters Reported at the Base
Nuccetelli also described several other incidents. Later on the same night as the red-square sighting, he said security personnel reported a large triangular craft over the ocean. Witnesses allegedly described the object as larger than a football field and said it hovered silently for approximately 45 seconds before accelerating away at what they considered extraordinary speed.
A separate incident in late October 2003 reportedly involved an erratic light that descended toward the base’s flight line. Nuccetelli said the object either landed or hovered over the area and that witnesses were later “threatened and intimidated” into remaining silent. He further recounted a 2005 report of another triangular craft, described as larger than a C-130 transport aircraft, floating over the installation before vanishing. The accounts, as presented, remain witness testimony and were not accompanied in the summary by corroborating radar data, photographs or other public documentation.
Personal Sighting and Concerns About Reporting
Nuccetelli included a personal encounter from 2005, saying that he and two other officers observed a pulsating light while he was off duty. He described the phenomenon as a “30-foot diameter sphere of light” that maneuvered erratically and later appeared roughly 200 feet above his home before accelerating into the night sky.
He told lawmakers that the incidents were reported through military channels and that multiple personnel had documented or relayed information about them. Despite those reports, he said, “no guidance” was sent back to personnel on how to respond to similar events. The testimony raised questions about how UAP reports were handled at sensitive military installations and why an identifiable public record of the alleged incidents has not been established.
Call for Transparency and Witness Protection
Nuccetelli urged Congress to support independent scientific research into UAP reports, reduce unnecessary classification and strengthen protections for military and civilian witnesses. He argued that fear of professional retaliation and concerns for family safety discourage people from coming forward.
His testimony adds to broader congressional scrutiny of unexplained aerial reports, particularly those involving defense facilities. At the same time, the claims remain unverified in the available record. Determining what occurred at Vandenberg would require the release or review of contemporaneous security logs, radar data, contractor reports and investigative files, alongside assessments from relevant government agencies.
