David Charles Grusch is a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer who became the best-known whistleblower on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP, the government’s term for UFOs). In July 2023 he told a House committee that the U.S. government has a long-running UAP crash-retrieval program. The Defense Department denies this, and no public evidence has confirmed it. This article covers his career, his 2026 activity, and what is and is not verified.
Latest Update: October 6, 2026
As of October 6, 2026, Grusch remains an active public advocate for UAP disclosure. On June 9, 2026, he stood on the steps of the U.S. Capitol with a bipartisan group of House members to call for declassification and stronger whistleblower protections. In July 2026, according to Representative Eric Burlison’s office, the House adopted an amendment that would set up a UAP records collection and independent review process if it becomes law.
Around the end of September 2026, he also appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast and made new claims, including a description of video of dead beings at a crash site and a base on the ocean floor. Those statements appear in fan-site summaries, and no independent evidence for them has been published. I am not presenting them as fact.
Who Is David Grusch?
Wikipedia describes Grusch as an Afghanistan combat veteran and a former Air Force intelligence officer who worked at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). He is also a former member of the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force, which later became the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO).
Background and Education
He was born in 1987, and some sources say in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His exact birth date has not been published in the sources I found. Several biography sites say he earned a physics degree on an Air Force ROTC scholarship, graduating in 2009, and a wiki reports the University of Pittsburgh. I could not confirm the school from an official source.
Career Path
Air Force and Intelligence Agencies
After commissioning as an Air Force intelligence officer, he worked on space-related intelligence at Peterson and Schriever Air Force Bases. He later served as a major in the Air Force Reserve and as a senior intelligence officer at the NRO. A biography page reports that he was the NRO’s representative to the UAP Task Force from 2019 to 2021, and later NGA’s co-lead for UAP analysis until July 2022.
The 2023 Whistleblower Complaint
Grusch filed a whistleblower complaint and spoke to the media in 2023. At a July 26, 2023, House hearing, he said he “was informed in the course of my official duties” of a “multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse-engineering program” to which he was denied access. He said his claims rested on interviews with about 40 witnesses over four years, and he referred to “non-human biologics.” The Department of Defense and AARO deny that any such program exists, and Wikipedia states that his assertions rest on alleged documents and conversations rather than testable evidence.
After 2023
Representative Eric Burlison of Missouri named him a special advisor on March 27, 2025, supporting UAP transparency and declassification work. A biography page also lists him as Chief Operating Officer of The Sol Foundation, a group that promotes UAP research, since 2023, which I could not confirm from an official source. In April 2026, he took part in a UAP panel at the National Space Symposium.
David Grusch Age
He was born in 1987, so he is 38 or 39 years old as of October 6, 2026, depending on his birthday, which has not been published. Older articles that say 36 were written in 2023.
Family, Net Worth, and Other Details
I did not find reliable information about his spouse, children, or parents. Several low-quality sites list net worth, height, and relationship details, but none cites a source, so I am not publishing them. His religion has not been publicly verified.
Quick Table
| Full Name | David Charles Grusch |
|---|---|
| Born | 1987 (exact date not published); Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania per several sites |
| Age | 38 or 39 (as of October 6, 2026) |
| Occupation | Former Air Force intelligence officer; UAP whistleblower; advisor |
| Agencies | U.S. Air Force; NRO; NGA; UAP Task Force |
| Known For | July 2023 congressional testimony on alleged UAP crash-retrieval programs |
| Current Role | Special advisor to Rep. Eric Burlison (since March 2025) |
| Education | Physics degree (2009), reportedly on an Air Force scholarship |
| Family / Net Worth | Not publicly verified |
| Status of Claims | Denied by DoD and AARO; no public evidence confirmed |
Reader Questions
Who is David Grusch?
David Grusch is a former Air Force intelligence officer who told Congress in 2023 that the U.S. government has a secret UAP crash-retrieval and reverse-engineering program.
How old is David Grusch?
He was born in 1987, so he is 38 or 39. His exact birth date has not been published.
Has David Grusch’s testimony been verified?
No. The Defense Department and AARO deny his claims, and no public evidence has confirmed them. He says his information came from interviews with about 40 witnesses.
What does David Grusch do now?
He is a special advisor to Representative Eric Burlison and continues to advocate for UAP disclosure.
What did David Grusch say in June 2026?
On June 9, 2026, he spoke at a Capitol press conference with lawmakers, calling for declassification and whistleblower protections.
What is David Grusch’s net worth?
It has not been publicly verified.
Wrap-Up
Grusch’s story has two parts that are easy to mix up. The documented part is that a former intelligence officer filed a whistleblower complaint, testified to Congress, and now advises a member of the House. The disputed part is what he says he was told, which the Pentagon denies and which has not been shown by public evidence.
As of October 6, 2026, David Grusch is a congressional advisor and a leading voice for UAP disclosure, and his central claims remain unproven.
Disclaimer
This article is based on publicly available sources checked on October 6, 2026. It reports Grusch’s claims as claims and does not state them as fact. Birth date, education details, and net worth could not be fully verified. Several referenced sites are fan or wiki pages and are noted as such.
