Inaugural Director, AARO (referenced for context)
The Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) convened a private workshop in August 2025 in the Washington, D.C., area to address the standardization of UAP data collection, management, and analysis. The event was coordinated by AARO and hosted by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), and brought together participants from government agencies, academic institutions, and civilian research organizations. A white paper detailing the workshop's proceedings and recommendations was published on AARO's official website in February 2026 and was subsequently reported by The Debrief on February 26, 2026. The workshop represents a notable shift in AARO's posture under current director Dr. Jon T. Kosloski compared to the more security-focused, limited-engagement approach of AARO's inaugural director, Sean M. Kirkpatrick. Key recommendations produced by the workshop included the development of standardized metadata templates incorporating AI tools with human oversight, open-ended public narrative reporting mechanisms, and the release of de-identified public UAP data to reduce stigma and build trust. Department of War spokesperson Sue Gough confirmed to The Debrief that AARO intends to use public reports to enhance UAP trend analysis, though no timeline was given for a public reporting mechanism.