Christopher Mellon

Christopher Mellon served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence from 1999 to 2002 under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Since 2017, he has been actively involved in efforts to bring attention to unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), including working with the New York Times and Congress to alert the nation to the UAP phenomenon.

What positions did he hold in government?

Mellon worked in the Department of Defense and on Capitol Hill for over a dozen years. He served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence from 1999 to 2002. Before that, he was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Security and Information Operations from 1998 to 1999. He also served as Minority Staff Director of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence from 2002 to 2004, and worked on national security issues on the Senate Intelligence Committee for many years.

What role did he play in the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program?

Mellon was involved with the disclosure of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP). He gave Pentagon UAP videos to the New York Times as part of efforts to raise awareness about unidentified aerial phenomena. In 2017, he reached out to the New York Times and Congress alongside fellow UAP researcher Lue Elizondo to alert the nation to the reality of the UAP phenomenon.

What recognition has he received?

Mellon is a recipient of the National Reconnaissance Office Gold Medal, the DIA Director's Medal, and the Secretary of Defense Public Service Award. He also participated in drafting legislation that led to the creation of United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) in the National Defense Authorization Act for 1987.

How has he engaged with the public on UAP issues?

Mellon has appeared on major media platforms to discuss UAP. He was featured on CBS 60 Minutes in May 2021 to discuss the government's acknowledgment of UAPs and implications for national security. He has also appeared in documentaries including The Phenomenon (2020), where he publicly disclosed his role in releasing Navy videos, and The Program (2024). He was featured in the History Channel series Unidentified: Inside America's UFO Investigation (2019) and Netflix's Investigation Alien (2024).

What is his current work?

Mellon is Chairman of the Disclosure Foundation and has been working since 2017 to discover the truth about unidentified aerial phenomena. He believes the government is making a mistake in classifying information about UAPs.