In a recent episode of Reality Check with Ross Coulthart, retired Lieutenant Colonel John Blitch, a former Green Beret and nuclear officer, has expressed his belief in the claims made by UFO whistleblower Jake Barber. The conversation shed light on Barber’s allegations about a covert government program for recovering UFOs, as well as Blitch's own extraordinary experiences.

Blitch, a cognitive psychologist and senior researcher at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, shared how his military career—including special operations and humanitarian missions—shaped his perspective on unexplained phenomena. Having also founded the first robot-assisted disaster response teams after 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, Blitch is no stranger to operating at the frontier of science and crisis.

But it’s his personal encounter that’s grabbing headlines. Blitch recalled an interaction with what he perceived as a tall, seven-foot, praying mantis-like being. The being, he said, appeared to be chastising him. "I was terrified, frozen, paralyzed to the bed," Blitch admitted.

The being conveyed a message that left him shaken:

"This body is just a machine that houses your soul... We can’t steal your soul or consciousness. Stop resisting, we’re trying to help you."

Despite his initial fear, the being repeatedly reassured him that it had no intention of harming his soul, explaining that any interference was focused solely on his physical body. “I got a male presence, vibe, from this being,” Blitch explained. “It was like a veterinarian telling a Labrador retriever to stop squirming while they fix something.”

Blitch compared it to a surgeon telling a patient to stop moving, or a vet calming a dog during surgery. It wasn’t hurting him, but it made it clear that things could get a lot worse if he didn’t cooperate. It’s wild stuff, and whether you believe it or not, Blitch is doubling down on the need for more transparency about UFOs. Between this and Jake Barber’s claims, it feels like more people in the know are starting to speak out.