Karl Nell

Karl E. Nell is a retired Army Colonel and aerospace executive who served as the Army's liaison to the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF) from 2021 to 2022. He became a notable public figure on the UAP topic after providing on-the-record corroboration for whistleblower David Grusch's claims in June 2023, and has since spoken at several conferences calling for greater government transparency on UAP.

What is his military background?

Nell received a four-year ROTC scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a degree in electrical engineering. He later earned master's degrees in mechanical engineering and strategic studies, completed graduate coursework in computer science, and attended the U.S. Army War College.

He served as a fully Joint-qualified commissioned officer in the Army Reserve, commanding at every grade level through colonel. His commands included activation of the Army's newest expeditionary military intelligence brigade supporting XVIII Airborne Corps and JSOC. He also served as Deputy Chief of Staff for U.S. Africa Command and held an early career role as Commander/Operations Officer with U.S. Space Command from 1990 to 1994, overseeing military satellite communications systems.

He was selected by-name for a nominative active-duty assignment advising the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, where he recommended actions accelerating the 32 highest-priority Army acquisitions and orchestrated the creation of the $107-million multi-year Project Convergence program.

What was his role with the UAP Task Force?

Nell served as the Army's director and liaison supporting the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Task Force from 2021 to 2022, which was the final assignment of his military career. During that time, he worked alongside David Grusch, who served as the National Reconnaissance Office's representative to the task force. His engagements with senior leaders in the Defense Department and Congress contributed to enactment of UAP-related legislation in the National Defense Authorization Act.

What did he say publicly about David Grusch's claims?

In June 2023, when The Debrief published its report on Grusch's whistleblower claims, Nell provided on-the-record corroboration. He stated: "His assertion concerning the existence of a terrestrial arms race occurring sub-rosa over the past eighty years focused on reverse engineering technologies of unknown origin is fundamentally correct, as is the indisputable realization that at least some of these technologies of unknown origin derive from non-human intelligence." He also described Grusch as "beyond reproach." Journalist Leslie Kean cited her interview with Nell as part of her vetting process before publishing the story.

A 2022 Army performance evaluation by Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence Laura A. Potter described Nell as "an officer with the strongest possible moral compass."

What has he said at public conferences?

At the inaugural Sol Foundation symposium at Stanford University in November 2023, Nell called for a formal campaign plan for UAP transparency and a "Manhattan Project"-scale effort to reverse-engineer recovered UAP craft. He presented slides outlining a target date of October 1, 2030, for achieving controlled UAP disclosure, and warned that failure to disclose UAP information could have "catastrophic" consequences for the United States.

On May 21, 2024, Nell spoke at the SALT iConnections New York conference, filling in for David Grusch. He stated: "Non-human intelligence exists. Non-human intelligence has been interacting with humanity. This interaction is not new. And it's been ongoing. And there are unelected people in the government that are aware of that," adding "There's zero doubt."

What is his post-military career?

Nell held several corporate roles after his military service, including Chief Strategy Officer of the U.S. Army Reserves, Director of Systems Engineering and Integration at Northrop Grumman, and Senior Systems Engineer at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space. He also served as VP/GM of a national security R&D division, Deputy CTO for a $2-billion company, and Distinguished Fellow of the Congressionally-chartered IT Acquisition Advisory Council. He is listed as CEO of StarDustX Materials, Inc., a multi-million-dollar startup focused on meta-materials research and development.

Nell served on the board of the UAP Disclosure Fund and later resigned from that board, with his exit noted in connection with a November 13, 2024, withdrawal from a House Oversight Committee hearing.