Pentagon Issues Legal Waiver Enabling Government Insiders to Disclose UAP Information to PURSUE Initiative

The U.S. Department of War announced on Monday, September 15, 2026, the creation of a new legal waiver establishing what it described as "an authorized, legally protected disclosure mechanism for current and former personnel to provide UAP-related National Defense Information (NDI) to designated representatives of the PURSUE effort." The waiver is tied to the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE), an initiative launched earlier in 2026 by the Trump administration with a mandate focused on declassification and public release of UAP-related government records rather than active investigation.

The waiver applies to current and former Department of War service members, veterans, civilian employees, and contractors who have or previously had access to UAP-related NDI. For disclosures made through the designated PURSUE channel, it provides targeted relief from civil and administrative enforcement provisions under Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) and Special Access Program Indoctrination Agreements (SAPIAs). Importantly, the waiver does not grant blanket authorization for public disclosure of classified information, nor does it declassify any previously protected material. Information submitted to PURSUE representatives will be subject to security review and potential declassification proceedings before any public release.

Michael Gold, President of Civil and International Space Business Development at Redwire and a former NASA official with prior involvement in AARO's predecessor — the UAP Task Force — and NASA's UAP Independent Study Team, told The Debrief the move was "nearly, if not entirely, unprecedented." Gold stated: "I have never seen anything like this before on any topic, and it demonstrates the seriousness with which the Department of War and the Trump administration are treating UAP transparency." He expressed optimism that "some very significant information could be publicly released through this process."

Gold also called for congressional UAP oversight representatives to be granted access to information submitted under the waiver, specifically naming Representatives Burlison, Luna, and Burchett as "fearless champions for UAP transparency" whose inclusion "would substantially bolster the credibility and efficacy of the overall effort." Gold further argued that greater UAP transparency could benefit aerospace safety and scientific discovery, and could close what he described as a potential loophole being exploited by adversary nations to conceal advanced drone activity near critical U.S. infrastructure.

The new pathway comes in the context of a history of UAP whistleblower allegations claiming the government holds more information than has been publicly disclosed, with legal and professional risks — including potential NDA violations, loss of security clearances, and administrative consequences — cited as barriers to disclosure. The PURSUE waiver is designed to mitigate some of those barriers within a controlled, government-reviewed framework. The article, reported by Chrissy Newton of The Debrief, notes that the ultimate significance of the waiver will depend on what information is submitted, how it is evaluated, and what is ultimately cleared for public release.