Rear Admiral Dean Reynolds Sackett Jr.

Naval Career

Dean Reynolds Sackett Jr. was born in Beatrice, Nebraska, and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1956. He rose through the ranks to achieve the rank of Rear Admiral, serving the U.S. Navy for 34.5 years before retiring on January 1, 1991. His final assignment was Commander of U.S. Naval Forces in Japan, a position of significant strategic importance during the Cold War.

Command of USS Trepang

Sackett assumed command of the USS Trepang (SSN-674), a Sturgeon-class nuclear attack submarine, in August 1970 and retained command until December 1973. The USS Trepang was assigned to operate beneath the Arctic ice cap, conducting classified weapons systems testing and scientific experiments on ice composition and geological history during the height of the Cold War.

On March 22, 1971, while the Trepang was conducting operations near Jan Mayen Island in the Arctic Ocean, photographs allegedly emerged showing an unidentified anomalous phenomenon—images that would become some of the most famous and disputed underwater UFO evidence in modern ufology. The photographs were circulated for decades, featured in UFO documentaries, and cited as proof of underwater alien or unidentified craft activity.

Direct Denial of the Incident

In July 2024, more than 50 years after the alleged incident and at 89 years old, Rear Admiral Sackett provided a direct and unequivocal statement to PolitiFact regarding the 1971 Arctic encounter. When asked about the famous UFO sighting, Sackett stated plainly: "There were no sightings. The story is not accurate."

As the actual commanding officer aboard USS Trepang during the period in question, Sackett was the highest-ranking eyewitness to the incident—or, more precisely, to its non-occurrence. He emphasized that he was personally aboard the vessel and witnessed nothing unusual that contradicted the official narrative of routine submarine operations.

Skeptical Significance

Sackett's explicit denial carries substantial weight in UFO discourse for several reasons. His decorated 34.5-year Navy career, his advancement to flag rank, and his position as commanding officer of a nuclear attack submarine lend credibility to his testimony. Unlike anonymous sources or lower-ranking crew members, Sackett had both the authority and the responsibility to know what transpired aboard his vessel.

His statement directly contradicts the viral claim that the USS Trepang witnessed something unexplained. While some UFO researchers have speculated that Sackett might be bound by classification restrictions or cover-up directives, his straightforward denial—stated openly and late in life—suggests he simply did not observe what the photographs allegedly document.

Sackett's position represents an important perspective within UFO studies: that of the credible insider who refutes rather than confirms extraordinary claims. His testimony demonstrates that even well-known UFO incidents can have mundane explanations or no genuine incident at all, and that popular narratives often diverge from what actual eyewitnesses experienced.