After the Loring AFB incidents (a weapon storage area was overflown by an unidentified "helicopter", "low flying aircraft" "UFO" - depending on the wording of the declassified documents), responsible people were required to check for "temperature inversions" when UFOs were sighted. Layers of air with strong gradients of temperature can explain more or less diffuse slow radar echoes. They are also sometimes falsely believed to explain visual sightings as "mirages."
Here we have a series of UFO sightings first by civilians and then by security personal, and again a UFO above a weapon storage area of a military installation.
N M C C
THE NATIONAL MILITARY COMMAND CENTER
WASHINGTON D.C. 20301
THE JOINT STAFF
30 July 1976
0545 EDT
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
Subject: Reports of Unidentified Flying Object (UFOs)
1. At aproximately 0345 EDT, the ANMCC called to indicate they had received several reports of UFO's in the vicinity of Fort Ritchie. The following events summarize the reports (times are approximate).
2. ANMCC was requested to have each individual write a statement on the sightings. One individual stated the object was about the size of a 2 1/2 ton truck.
3. Based on a JCS memorandum, subject: Temperature Inversion Analysis, dated 13 November 1975, the NMCC contacted the Air Force Global Weather Central. The Duty Officer, LTC OVERBY, reported that the Dulles International Airport observations showed two temperature inversions existed at the time of the [alleged sightings, one from the surface to 1000 ft the other from 27.000 to 30.000 ft heavily saturated with moisture.]
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