A retired U.S. Air Force major general who previously oversaw advanced military research programs (including those about UFOs) has been reported missing in New Mexico, prompting a Silver Alert and a multi-agency search effort. William Neil McCasland, 68, was last seen around 11 a.m. on Feb. 27 near Quail Run Court NE in Albuquerque, according to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities say McCasland has unspecified medical issues and may be in need of assistance.
Investigators said McCasland left his home without his phone or smartwatch, and residents in the surrounding neighborhood have been asked to review security camera footage from the day he disappeared.
The FBI is assisting local authorities in the ongoing search. McCasland previously commanded research units at Kirtland Air Force Base and was involved in advanced aerospace and space-related programs during his military career.
A retired US Air Force general was reported missing in New Mexico.
Retired Maj. Gen. William Neil McCasland, 68, was last seen around 11 a.m. Friday near Quail Run Court NE in Albuquerque, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office said.
McCasland was a longtime leader at Kirtland… pic.twitter.com/QxkKwU50Y8
— ClearCast Communiqué (@ClearCastComms) March 2, 2026
His disappearance has drawn attention in online UFO and UAP communities because of his past work and comments from journalist Ross Coulthart. On the March 8 episode of his Reality Check podcast, Coulthart suggested the timing of the disappearance was “screechingly relevant,” referring to renewed public discussion about unidentified aerial phenomena and calls from former President Donald Trump for the release of additional government records related to UFO investigations.
However, authorities have not indicated that McCasland’s disappearance is connected to national security issues or UFO-related matters. “The timing is screechingly relevant,” Coulthart said. “This is a man with some of the most sensitive secrets of the United States in his head,” Coulthart added. McCasland was among the main research officials at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, where he oversaw classified space weapons programs.
During a recent podcast conversation, former President Barack Obama was asked about extraterrestrial life during a rapid-fire question segment. Obama said he had seen no evidence of extraterrestrial contact during his presidency, though he noted that the vast size of the universe makes the existence of life elsewhere statistically plausible.
“They’re not being kept in Area 51,” Obama said. “There’s no underground facility unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States.”
Barack Obama on aliens: “They’re real”
“But I haven’t seen them. They’re not being kept at Area 51. There’s no underground facility — unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the President of the United States.” pic.twitter.com/c6t0DYxewU
— UAP James (@UAPJames) February 14, 2026
Obama later clarified that he saw “no evidence” of extraterrestrial life during his eight years in office, though he still believes that there is something out there.
“Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there’s life out there,” Obama explained.
“But the distances between solar systems are so great that the chances we’ve been visited by aliens [are] low, and I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!”
Aliens, UFOs, and the overall topic of extraterrestrials remain an extremely popular topic, both in pop culture and everyday conversation. There is no shortage of alien movies regularly released — Ice Cube starred in a widely panned remake of “War of the Worlds” last year — and the same holds true for video games.
Of course, just a simple social media search always pulls up plenty of conspiracy theories. We might need to wait a little longer to find out if any of those theories have merit, though.
