USAF Directive: Gen. Cabell Orders Reporting of 'Unconventional Aircraft' to All Services
On September 8, 1950, Major General Charles P. Cabell at Air Materiel Command issued a directive titled 'Reporting of Information on Unconventional Aircraft' to all military branches, FBI, CIA, and State Department.
Background
On September 8, 1950, Air Force Major General Charles P. Cabell at Air Materiel Command wrote to Air Force commanding generals, major air commands, and US air attachés, with copies to the intelligence directors of the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, FBI, CIA, and State Department. The memo, titled 'Reporting of Information on Unconventional Aircraft,' defined same as 'any aircraft or airborne object which by performance, aerodynamic characteristics, or unusual features, does not conform to any presently known aircraft type.' Each incident was to be reported separately, with descriptive details and time of the sighting, to the Air Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio.
This directive formalized the military's UFO reporting structure across all branches and intelligence agencies, establishing a centralized collection point at Wright-Patterson.
Significance
Formalized military UFO reporting across all US military branches and intelligence agencies.