UFO Whistleblower Alleges Missing General Was Part of Disclosure Effort

Retired Air Force General William McCasland, who vanished from his New Mexico home on February 27, was allegedly involved in an effort to prepare Americans for UFO disclosure, according to UFO whistleblower David Grusch.

McCasland, 68, disappeared leaving behind his phone, wearable devices, and prescription glasses. More than seven months later, he remains missing. Grusch, who testified under oath in 2023 about alleged government programs to recover and reverse-engineer non-human spacecraft, made these new claims on Joe Rogan's podcast.

Grusch linked McCasland's alleged involvement to efforts that may have been coordinated with political figures, including Hillary Clinton, who pledged to release UFO files during her 2016 presidential campaign. Grusch noted McCasland's disappearance occurred shortly after former President Trump announced plans to release UFO-related files.

McCasland held significant research positions within the Air Force, including commanding the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio and leading its Phillips Research Site at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. His past connections to UFO discussions gained public attention in 2016 when hacked emails from John Podesta's account were published by WikiLeaks.

One 2016 email from Podesta's account detailed Blink-182 frontman Tom DeLonge's interactions with McCasland. DeLonge, who has since focused on UAP advocacy and co-founded To The Stars Academy, wrote that he had provided McCasland with a four-hour presentation on his disclosure project and that the general had helped assemble his advisory team. The email also reiterated claims that Roswell incident material was taken to Wright-Patterson, where McCasland commanded a laboratory, though no evidence was provided.

Grusch told Rogan that Podesta had "greenlit a... acclimatization activity, a popularization activity" and that McCasland's interactions with DeLonge were part of this. "That's why General McCasland talked to him," Grusch stated.

Podesta, however, offered a different perspective in a recent email to PARADIGM. He characterized the interactions as a conference call arranged by DeLonge that discussed declassifying Defense Department files and reducing the stigma around UAP research. Podesta maintained that the public could handle the truth about UAPs and did not require "acclimation."

Grusch suggested McCasland's engagement with DeLonge was strategic, viewing the musician as a public figure who could connect with a younger audience. "They were trying to prep the battlespace prior to 2016," Grusch said.

McCasland's wife, Susan Wilkerson, reportedly informed authorities in February that she did not suspect foul play but indicated her husband "had planned not to be found." Local police have not released updates on the investigation.

Grusch had previously alleged that McCasland was involved in classified programs related to non-human craft recovery and reverse-engineering, and had been uncooperative with lawmakers investigating alleged extraterrestrial contact.