Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (hearing transcript, Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, and Counterproliferation, 17 May 2022)

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And so I was enthralled by that, and I have taken that to heart. I enjoy the
challenge of what may be out there. I have mentioned to you that, yes, I have followed
science fiction. I have gone to conventions. Even I will say it on the record. Got to
break the ice somehow.
But, you know, I have done that. Right? But there is nothing wrong with that.
I don't necessarily dress up. But I do, you know, I do believe that it is important to show
that the Department of Defense has, you know, we have character, and we are people
just like you, just like the American people. We have our -- we have our inquisitiveness.
We have our questions. We want to know what is out there as much as you want to
know what is out there. We get the questions not just from you. We get it from family
members. And we get them night and day, not just in committee hearings.
So finding what is out there is important. But, first and foremost, it is important
for us to do that so we can ensure that our people, our personnel, our aviators, our bases,
and installations are safe. And then that curiosity factor is something else that we just
want to know because that is the human race. It is just, you know, that insatiable desire
to know.
Chairman Carson. Thank you, sir.
Ranking Member Crawford.
Mr. Crawford. Mr. Moultrie, you said you don't necessarily dress up. That
wasn't a real strong statement.
Gentlemen, thank you for being here today. We appreciate it.
And thank you, Mr. Moultrie, for breaking the ice the way you did. I appreciate
that.
The inability to understand objects in our sensitive operating areas is tantamount
to an intelligence failure that we certainly want to avoid. This is not about finding alien