New AFCIN-4 Plan on UFOBs

This collection of correspondence and cover sheets details the administrative restructuring of the United States Air Force's management of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) between May 1957 and February 1958. The primary objective of the documents is to finalize the revision of Air Force Regulation (AFR) 200-2, which aimed to streamline the UFO program and reduce the administrative burden on intelligence offices, specifically AFOIN-4. The documents reflect a strategic shift in policy: the Air Force sought to decentralize the investigative process by making individual Air Force base commanders responsible for initial investigations, while limiting the participation of the Air Defense Command (ADC) to cases involving potentially hostile vehicles. Furthermore, the Air Force moved to divorce itself from direct public relations regarding UFOs, delegating all inquiries from the press and public to the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Information Services (SAFIS). The authors express concern that previous Air Force communications regarding UFOs were susceptible to misinterpretation or could be used to suggest that the Air Force was attempting to deceive the public. Consequently, the revised regulation was carefully scrubbed of any language that might provoke suspicion or suggest an unfavorable change in policy. The documents also highlight the Air Force's efforts to manage congressional interest, specifically regarding a request for 'open hearings' by the Senate Government Operations Sub-Committee. Through coordination with figures such as Dr. H. P. Robertson and representatives from SAFRD and SAFIS, the Air Force successfully persuaded the committee that such hearings were not in the best interest of the service. By early 1958, the Air Force concluded that the 'UFO hysteria' had subsided, noting a dramatic reduction in public inquiries following the launch of Sputnik I. The documents suggest that the Air Force believed public interest would naturally shift toward space exploration, effectively rendering the UFO program a matter of routine administration rather than a high-priority intelligence concern. The correspondence concludes with recommendations to brief General Lewis on these realignments and to maintain a watchful eye on misrouted communications to ensure adherence to the new, more orderly procedures.