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PDF · DoWPURSUE Release 03

Department of War PURSUE File

DOW-UAP-D079, Narrative Statement 1, Western United States Event, 2023

Westen United States·October, 2023

Declassified

Editorial summary

This Department of War memorandum, dated June 2, 2026, presents the first-hand account of Witness 1, a federal law enforcement agent who reported unidentified anomalous phenomena over two days in October 2023 in the western United States. The witness described a bright circular light resembling swirling lava near a hillside, later ranged at about 1,100 meters, and a similar object that appeared to release three red lights. The account also describes a hovering vehicle with one red and one white taillight that moved silently off-road, and later a hard-to-define floating object through which a star could be seen.

Editorial summary written by govweird from the declassified document text. The official government description follows below.

Government description

This memorandum presents the first-hand narrative from Witness 1 provided to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO). Witness 1 was one of several United States (U.S.) federal law enforcement special agents who reported observing unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) over a period of two days in October 2023 in the western United States.

Caption issued by the U.S. Department of War on war.gov/ufo. Verbatim, unedited.

Originating agency

Department of War

Record type

PDF

Incident date

October, 2023

Incident location

Westen United States

Release tranche

Release 03 (May 8, 2026)

Distribution

Cleared for public release

Original document

PDF hosted by war.gov. If the embedded viewer fails to load, open the file directly.

More from DoW

Source: war.gov/ufo · PURSUE Release 03

PURSUE = Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters. Records released by the U.S. Department of War on May 8, 2026 are unresolved cases for which the government cannot make a definitive determination, and the Department has invited private-sector analysis.