Several U.S. Navy personnel who served aboard the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) say they encountered a mysterious, orb-shaped flying object in 2004 while on duty off the eastern coast of the United States. Nearly two decades later, the incident still defies explanation. Witnesses who were on the nuclear-powered Nimitz-class supercarrier the night of the incident describe seeing a 20 to 40-foot wide luminous round object, which suddenly appeared and began to hover over the ships flight deck. MY LATEST VIDEOS The USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) performs nighttime flight operations at-sea (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Quinton A. Lee) NAVY WITNESSES DESCRIBE 2004 ENCOUNTER WITH UAP ABOARD THE USS RONALD REAGAN DAVE BEATY (HTTPS://THEDEBRIEF.ORG/AUTHOR/DAVEBEATY/), WITH SEAN MUNGER () AND CRAIG LABADIE ()MAY 9, 2022 (https://thedebrief.org) Adding to the strangeness of the event, sailors who witnessed this say their Naval commanders seemed disinterested that a large, glowing orb was reported flying over the ship, and continued normal operations without ordering any defensive actions to be taken. Now, The Debrief has spoken with nearly a dozen witnesses to the 2004 incident, allowing documentation of this remarkable observation of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) by multiple U.S. Navy servicemen to finally be brought to light. BACKGROUND: THE USS RONALD REAGAN On July 12, 2003, the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) was commissioned and became the ninth Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier. At 1,092 feet long, the vessel currently A total crew of 5,680 (often called 76ers based on the CVN-76 designation) An airwing crew of 2,480 80+ aircraft Two Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors Up to 260,000 HP and a max speed of 30 knots In 2003, the USS Ronald Reagan called the East Coast home while conducting sea trials. This area of Atlantic Ocean operations ranged from Florida to Virginia utilizing the naval Virginia Capes Range Complex (FACSFAC VACAPES), the Cherry Point naval operations areas, and the Jacksonville (FACSFAC JAX) operations areas. Between January and May of 2004, the carrier was undergoing secondary flight deck certifications off the East Coast as part of Post Shakedown Availability (PSA), a certification process for newly acquired naval vessels that allow for the correction of deficiencies that were found in the initial Shakedown Cruise. On May 27, 2004, Reagan left Norfolk to begin the long circumnavigation around South America to its permanent homeport in San Diego, California. AIR WING DETACHMENT During the USS Ronald Reagans Post-Shakedown Availability, various flight deck certifications were ongoing and squadrons were using the ship to train. The VX-23 Salty Dogs Test and Evaluation Squadron performed flight tests from the ship in July 2003, while the VFA-15 Valions also performed flight deck evaluations in May 2004, though it appears no permanent Air Wing had been attached to the ship during this time. In May of 04 Carrier Air Wing 11, normally attached to USS Nimitz embarked 25% of its aircraft aboard the USS Ronald Reagan for transit around South America. Of note, VFA-41, The Black Acesfamous for Cdr. David Fravors 2004 Tic Tac encounterwas also aboard the ship (although it is unclear whether Fravor was part of this detachment at that time). The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan transits the Pacific Ocean in 2010 (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Dylan McCord, mass-communication specialist). THE USS RONALD REAGAN UAP ENCOUNTER During The Debriefs ongoing investigation, we have identified and interviewed five witnesses who were aboard the USS Reagan during the timeframe of the incident, and who were all able to provide firsthand accounts of having witnessed the UAP. As part of this process, verification of military service was completed using DD-214 military separations documents, the official 2004 USS Ronald Reagan cruise book, and corroborating witness statements. Although multiple interviews and record checks were conducted, none of the witnesses we spoke with were able to remember the specific date of the encounter. UAP WITNESS 1 Karol Olesiak was a 3rd class petty officer and Quartermaster on the Ronald Reagan at the time of the incident. His job involved navigation of the ship, working from the main bridge at the navigation table. He was also responsible for the USS Reagans official ship logbook during the encounter. On the day of the UAP event, Karol was Quartermaster of the Watch (QMOW) during the 8:00 PM-12:00 AM time frame. This duty required him to report to the main bridge navigation table and involved coordination of the maneuvering of the vessel. VX-23 Salty Dogs Test and Evaluation Squadron operating aboard USS Ronald Reagan in the Atlantic Ocean. July 25, 2003. U.S. Navy photo by Photographers Mate 2nd Class Chad McNeeley. Olesiak told The Debrief that when he arrived to relieve the previous watch that evening, the outgoing Quartermaster of the Watch indicated something was already going on at that time, though the individual offered no additional information. However, it soon became apparent to Olesiak that something was happening outside above the flight deck. Im pretty sure it was there, Olesiak said. And they were like, I dont know what that is. I dont care. You know what I mean? Like they had an attitude like Im going to my rack. I dont care. ... dont even bother me about this shit... So this thing is there, the entirety of my watch and because the officers are ignoring it, Im forced to ignore it. Olesiak emphasized that everyone was working 16-hour shifts and unless an issue was life-threatening most problems were prioritized. He stated that his prior training in boot camp indoctrinated him to not question orders. The officer of the watch continued normal bridge operations, he said. Olesiak said he saw a large round and orange-colored glowing object with a fiery surface hovering about 100 feet above the flight deck. He said he viewed this object directly through the windows on the bridge at eye level. Olesiak says the surface of the object reminded him of biblical descriptions of the burning bush. In the Eastern Orthodox church, they explain the burning Bush as unburnt energy, Olesiak mused. When you see it, you are entranced by the novelty of it. Youve never seen it before. Right? Youve never seen negative energy... but its there. You dont know what it is, the experience of seeing something you havent seen before. Photo QM3 Karol Olesiak aboard USS Ronald Reagan circa 2003 credit U.S. Navy Photo Photo CGI re-creation of orange mini sun UAP based on witness descriptions (Credit: Dave C Beaty) Olesiak pointed out that the Officer Of the Watch (OOW) and the Conning Officer on the bridge were not alarmed by the object. They continued working as if nothing unusual was going on. When asked to clarify why he did not report his sighting, Olesiak stated that his training required him to defer to senior officers. Since they had observed it and were not reacting, likewise it was his responsibility to stay on task. Its a problem when somebody says that its a problem. Its a problem when somebody tells you that its a problem., He stated. Karol said he was surprised aircraft operations continued. And its watching the planes, its watching the planes get launched, he said. For me, even though Id never seen it before, I thought that this was natural and that, you know, that this was an organic thing that we would, maybe another form of life, maybe, but something we would figure out in the future Karol only viewed the object from his position on the bridge. He does not remember seeing the object arrive, or move in any way other than match the speed of the ship which he said was ahead at 22 knots based on flight ops. He believes that the object was in the same location during the entirety of his four-hour watch. Olesiak first in October 2021 (UAP investigator Keith Basterfield brought this article to the attention of Dave Beaty for this report). You can also hear more from Karol Olesiak in this video interview with Dave Beaty (below): CGI re-creation of UAP as seen from the bridge of USS Ronald Reagan based on witness descriptions (Credit: Dave C Beaty). wrote about the sighting on his website (https://www.soldiersforthecause.org/2021/10/26/exclusive- uss-ronald-reagan-uap-encounter/) 2004 USS Ronald Reagan UFO Encounters - Witness Karol Olesiak2004 USS Ronald Reagan UFO Encounters - Witness Karol Olesiak UAP WITNESS 2 Derek Smith entered the navy in February 2002 as a Seaman (SN) in the deck department responsible for ship maintenance and operations. Smith was also trained as a lookout. Lookouts are trained in visual recognition of aircraft, ships, and marine mammals. At the time of the sighting, Smith says he was outside on an upper-level catwalk that surrounded the island superstructure of the ship. This starboard forward lookout position is approximately 50-75 feet above the deck. Smith reported that he was with a female trainee at the time of the sighting (referred to here as Witness 3). Soon after arriving on watch, Their attention was drawn to a large, orange-colored, glowing object hovering above the flight deck several hundred feet in front of them, just above the centerline of the ship forward of the island. Im sitting here looking at this thing, and I couldnt tell what it was, Smith told The Debrief. There was a shape to it. It was oval-shaped... it didnt look solid, but it had a shape Derek said he reported the sighting to the carriers tactical operations center (TOP) as required using the sound-powered microphone and headset the lookouts used. He also stated that he looked at the object through the big eyes deck-mounted binoculars. He said it looked like a glowing, gaseous self-luminous object. It also appeared to have a moving swirling surface, but he was unable to identify it as a plane or helicopter. Smith recalls observing the object for several minutes. On starboard forward you had, Id say, about 70% of the flight deck in front of you. And I remember we were looking down at the flight deck and you had airmen on there and me and her were just looking at each other. And then we looked down at the flight deck and all the people while fight deck was [sic] looking up at the (object) SN Derek Smith aboard USS Ronald Reagan circa 2004 (Credit: Derek Smith). UAP WITNESS 3 Accompanying BMSN Derek Smith on the lookout during the event was a female trainee or UI (undergoing instruction) shipmate referred to here as Witness 3 who wishes to remain anonymous. The Debrief spoke with Witness 3 in April 2022 about the sighting, at which time she was able to confirm several details provided by Smith and Olesiak. Witness 3 states that she had not communicated with any of the other witnesses in the last 19 years and had never read Olesiaks article about the sighting. According to Witness 3, she did not arrive on the ship until November or December of 2003, in the Newport News naval shipyard. During the encounter, Witness 3 says she was undergoing training with Smith, who she refers to as Smith D. At one point, they both became aware of a large, round, glowing object hovering over the flight deck a few hundred feet above them and pacing the ship, which was then underway. Witness 3 said Smith directed her to call the operations center to report the air contact, and that upon calling in the report, she was met with some skepticism on the radio, and was asked if she was smoking crack. Differing from Olesiaks and Smiths accounts, Witness 3 said she recalled that the first observation happened before sunset around dusk and that it was cloudy at the time. She further recalls seeing the object depart into the clouds. Witness 3 says she recalls that tactical operations also reported having an air search radar contact during the event. Sailors stand starboard forward lookout watch on a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, circa 2009 (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Walter M. Wayman). CGI re-creation of UAP over USS Ronald Reagan based on witness descriptions (Credit: Dave C Beaty) After I had called it in.....They were like... let us know what happens. And then it stayed with us. I dont remember how long it stayed with the ship, but it stayed with the ship for a while. ...It just followed us. And they were like, well whats your positioning with the sun?. I was like, thats not the sun.' Witness 3 also said the people working on the flight deck were observing the object, some of them with increasing concern. There was a group of them, Witness 3 recalls, [that] we had seen them down there and they had looked up and pointed up and they all took off...They just ran off the flight deck. Like, they dropped their stuff and took off and thats when we looked up and were like, whats that!?...there was a huge ball above their heads, you know?... they all took off. Witness 3 described the object as a large round object with a glowing orange color and fuzzy-looking edges, solid but not defined edges. The inner color was swirling much like a science video of the sun close up, she said. She described a sudden series of half-circle-like maneuvers just before it shot off into the clouds at extreme speed. Witness 3 said they had not been engaged in flight operations during the sighting. That those exercises had been completed earlier and the air department was busy securing the equipment when the sighting first happened. She says her watch ended after dark and remembers being on the bridge rotation on the lee helm duty station with Derek Smith and hearing other watchstanders commenting about the UFO. She also remembers instructions that no log entries should be made about the event. UAP WITNESS 4 Patrick Gokey enlisted in the Navy in August 2003 and after basic training and A school he was stationed on the USS Ronald Regan in November 2003. He boarded the ship in Newport News naval shipyard as a Seaman. Gokey reports that he believes the sightings took place during the sea trials where the carrier would put out to sea for 1-2 week periods doing qualifications between December 2003 and May 2004. He recalls being told, We are in the Bermuda Triangle. On the night of the UAP encounter, he says he was assigned lookout watch from 8:00 PM to 12:00 AM, and the first time he observed the object was from the starboard forward lookout station on the catwalk of the island. He says up to 10 lookout positions would be manned during that period and they would rotate the positions each hour. I just saw this orange, bright orange ball, and it was wavy, but somehow still solid like a plasma almost, Gokey told The Debrief. And it just appeared over the flight deck. Maybe 200 feet off the flight deck. It sat there for about 30 seconds. SN Patrick Gokey circa 2005 (Credit: U.S. Navy Photo) Gokey told The Debrief that he recalls flight operations were taking place and that dozens of air personnel were on the flight deck below him. He said after some time, he watched the object as it moved away rapidly. It didnt seem to move at all, we were moving during flight ops, and it seemed to stay with us. But without any movement that you could discern. After that, it just did three half circles, just 1, 2, 3, and it was gone. I mean just in the blink of an eye, it was gone. And so that was pretty weird and, you know. I reported it, Gokey said, noting that other people had reported it. During one of his rotations, Gokey says he was stationed on the fantail lookout position. This area is a catwalk on the very back end of the carrier, below the flight deck, and provides an unobstructed view behind the ship. It was during this watch that he once again spotted an object. I was on the fantail by myself and the same thing, Gokey said. It came back by us on the fantail and it hovered, you know, maybe a hundred or 200 feet in the air in the same, you know, maybe the same distance behind it did three half circles and it took off. Gokey stated he believes the object was closer this time and appeared to have the same characteristics and description as the first object. Based on his description of the object pacing the ship and performing three similar half circle movements just before the object shot away rapidly he believes it was under intelligent control. Yeah. It was somehow controlled, Gokey said. It just couldnt have been random. CGI re-creation of UAP over USS Ronald Reagan based on witness descriptions (Credit: Dave C Beaty) CGI re-creation of UAP seen from the fantail based on Patrick Gokeys descriptions (Credit: Dave C Beaty). UAP WITNESS 5 At the time of the sighting, the individual identified here as Witness 5 (who also wished to remain anonymous) was the Boatswains Mate of the Watch (BMOW). His duties included overseeing all lookouts and keeping a boatswains mate logbook at his station inside the bridge, and he reported to the Officer of the Watch (OOW). Witness 5 said he was in contact with all lookouts including Derek Smith, Witness 3, and Patrick Gokey, as well as other lookouts on duty. In his statement to The Debrief, Witness 5 says when he came onto his watch that evening, he was contacted by his chief, who told him to go outside and see why the lookouts were horsing around on the intercom system talking about UFOs. Witness 5 said he immediately went outside prepared to chew out the lookouts. As he approached the starboard forward lookout post, he said he immediately observed a large round object about 200 feet above the flight deck in front of him. He reported that the object was glowing orange, and seemed to be somewhat fuzzy and like a blob. It did not shine any light onto the flight deck of the ship and the color was similar to the orange work lights used on the ship at night. He noticed airmen working below on the flight deck looking up at this object, but said no air operations were going on at the time. He said he did not see the UAP arrive, depart or make any movements during the several minutes he observed it. It was like a translucent blob, really translucent, he said. You could kind of see through it and it was...like a lava lamp It had that type of movement...It seemed almost like viscous, but in the air, and it moved. Enlisted sailors stand watch on the bridge of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, circa 2010 (Credit: U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Nicholas A. Groesch). Sailor looks through the big eyes during watch from aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (Credit: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Veronica Mammina). Witness 5 told The Debrief that while it may seem unusual to most civilians that the officers did not seem to be alarmed by the sight of this object, he said everyone was operating on a lack of sleep and significant amounts of physically strenuous work. At the time, Witness 5 said he wondered about the lack of action by the officers but concluded it was above my pay grade. More concerning, however, had been that when Witness 5 got back to his watch station on the bridge and began to write the sighting into his log, he was told by his chief to rip it out. (Editorial Note: The Debrief has communicated with Witness 5s Naval Public Affairs Office requesting permission for the active duty service member to speak on the record, but has not received any response to date.) SEARCHING FOR THE DATE Narrowing down the exact date of the incident, which occurred nearly two decades ago presents its own challenges. Karl Olesiak originally believed the event may have occurred during the hurricane Isabel avoidance underway in September 2003. With a large hurricane threatening the eastern seaboard, the USS Ronald Reag