Jim Penniston

Board of Directors

Jim Penniston is a retired United States Air Force Security Forces Sergeant and co-author of Encounter in Rendlesham Forest. Over his twenty-year career, he served in key security and counter-terrorism roles across the Strategic Air Command, NATO, and multiple overseas assignments. He supported protection operations for high-level officials, Air Force One, and sensitive weapons systems, holding U.S. TOP SECRET/BI/SCI and NATO TOP SECRET COSMIC/ATOMAL clearances for the majority of his service.

In December 1980, Penniston became one of the principal first responders to what is now known as the Rendlesham Forest Incident, the most documented UFO encounter in military history. During this event, he conducted a direct, on-site investigation of a landed craft of unknown origin near RAF Woodbridge, recording symbols, physical details, and environmental effects before the craft departed. His first-hand testimony has been featured at two National Press Club events and in documentaries and programs produced by major outlets worldwide.

Since retiring from the Air Force in 1993, Penniston has remained an active and respected voice in UFO research. He is a frequent lecturer at both national and international conferences, contributes to books and studies on the phenomenon, and appears regularly on television and radio programs. His decades of security expertise and his historic encounter continue to shape modern discussions on UFO/UAP events and military transparency.