Posted: 17 Feb 2022 09:02 AM PST

A USAF base, mostly known for Bigfoot activity, is also referenced for a 1972 UFO and extraterrestrial shooting incident. The facility was the McChord Air Force Base (currently known as Joint Base Lewis-McChord).

After the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) was made public in 2017, it was revealed that the US secret agencies had never stopped their research on UFOs. Since the launch of the first Defense satellite in space in the mid-1960s, the US federal government continued to monitor the unidentified objects. In 1970s, UFO incidents began to occur at the McChord Air Force Base, situated in Pierce County, Washington. This case was disclosed by the alleged former AFOSI (the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations) agent Robert Collins in 2001.

On October 14, 1972, two US military pilots, Airman First Class Steven Briggs and Airman Dennis Hillsgeck were instructed to check the Tactical Air Navigational (TACAN) facility that was located only eight miles (12 kilometers) east of McChord Air Force Base. The facility was controlled and maintained by the US government.

At around 1 PM, the two officers arrived at the facility, opened the high-security fence surrounding the facility, and entered the building. As soon as they went in, the officers began conducting the TACAN equipment’s security and system checks. At approximately 2 PM, Briggs was distracted by the strange sound outside the building. He described the sound like that of a high-pitch engine. He went outside to investigate it and discovered that the sound was not from any conventional aircraft but an unknown craft. He was surprised to see a saucer-shaped object, hovering over the TACAN facility. As he watched, it started descending south of the TACAN compound and landed.

Briggs rushed inside the TACAN building to alert his partner Hillsgeck about the intruders. When they both stepped outside the facility they we confronted by two humanoid creatures walking towards the fence that surrounded the building. They immediately went back inside the building and called the base security police. He asked them to send the help to the TACAN building as the intruders were about to trespass the facility. Sergeant David Holmes, the Law Enforcement Desk Sergeant, 62nd Security Police Squadron, received his call. Sgt Dwight Reid was dispatched to the location.

When the security police patrol arrived they did not see any craft. They found both airmen bewildered, standing near their vehicle. They could not speak, but Hillsgeck’s face had a burn mark. This concerned Sgt. Reid who immediately called for an Air Force ambulance.

AIC Tash discovered strange marks on the soil. He then heard Reid yelling at him to look up as an object was directly above him. The saucer-shaped object was know hovering above the facility. Sgt. Reid unsuccessfully attempted to contact the security police law enforcement office through his portable radio. Reid and Tash quickly retrieved both dazed airmen and left the scene. After driving from the TACAN facility, they were able to establish contact with the security police office and requested urgent assistance.

Four security policemen arrived at the scene, including Sgt. Darren Alexander along with his military dog. As the search began, the dog alerted the whole police unit as he found something suspicious at approximately 400 yards south of the TACAN site.

Alexander then encountered two humanoid creatures near a remote power station. He demanded that they stand still and raise their hands. Instead, the creatures moved towards Alexander, and he noticed that one of them was holding something that looked like a weapon. In his defense, Alexander fired 6 rounds of shots from his .38 caliber revolver. He soon returned to his vehicle, contacted Sgt Reid, and told him that he had fired at the creatures. He was not sure if he had struck the creatures and asked for backup.

Soon, another team arrived. They searched the area and found a landed saucer-shaped object. They surrounded the object and called their supervisor Captain Henry Stone. When Cpt. Stone arrived, the object suddenly ascended, and disappeared in few seconds. A Security Alert Team then arrived. They searched the area and observed the saucer-shaped object had once again landed, directly east of the power station. They circled the object and called for a supervisor.

According to Collins’ report, officials from the special investigations department investigated the case. The incident was classified as Top Secret and remained in the AFOSI files as unsolved.

McChord Air Force Base is also known for the crash of Air Force C-118 in Bonney Lake, a city in Washington on April 1, 1959. Interestingly, the UFO is blamed for the crash.

Phantoms & Monsters