Dan Sherman

Service and Background

Dan Sherman served in the United States Air Force for twelve years (1982–1994), attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant. Early in his USAF career, he received training as an electronic intelligence (ELINT) analyst, completing his basic ELINT courses at Goodfellow Air Force Base in Texas. In 1992, he was sent to the National Security Agency headquarters at Fort Meade, Maryland, where his formal intelligence training served as cover for what he later claimed was his true assignment: training as an "Intuitive Communicator."

Throughout his military career, Sherman received the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Air Force Achievement Medal, the Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters, and recognition for heroism during the Persian Gulf War.

Project Preserve Destiny

Sherman claims he was enrolled in a classified program known as Project Preserve Destiny spanning from 1991 to 1994, though he served in the Air Force until 1994. According to his account, he underwent intensive training at Fort Meade designed to develop his purported ability to communicate telepathically with extraterrestrial intelligences. The program allegedly operated "above black" classification levels—hidden beneath less classified NSA programs to maintain operational security.

During a ten-month period within the project, Sherman states he received more than 75 messages from a primary extraterrestrial contact he designated "Bones," which he processed through secure computer systems and reported to his NSA handlers. He claims the aliens shared information about electromagnetic travel, time manipulation, extraterrestrial lifespans, and alleged connections to human ancestry.

Public Disclosure

After retiring from the Air Force in 1994, Sherman remained silent until 1998, when he published Above Black: Project Preserve Destiny—Insider Account of Alien Contact and Government Cover-Up. The 147-page book detailed his training, his experiences receiving alien messages, the structure of grey project compartmentalization, and his decision to leave the military. Since publication, Sherman's account has circulated to more than 45 countries and reached audiences of over 100,000 people through radio interviews, television appearances, and speaking engagements.

Sherman's presentation style—calm, measured, and methodical rather than sensationalized—has lent him credibility among UFO researchers. Unlike many contactees or abductees whose narratives emphasize drama or mystical revelation, Sherman's testimony emphasizes his military professionalism and straightforward documentation of events.

Credibility and Corroboration

While the U.S. government has never officially confirmed the existence of Project Preserve Destiny or Sherman's role within it, some researchers have pointed to leaked NSA documents as lending circumstantial support to his broader claims about classified communication programs. His military service record, awards, and rank are verifiable through official channels. However, his central claims—particularly regarding telepathic communication with extraterrestrials—remain unverified and impossible to definitively confirm or refute through conventional means.

Sceptics argue that such claims lack falsifiability and official corroboration. Supporters contend that Sherman's testimony represents a credible insider account of a compartmentalized black project designed specifically to remain hidden from public and congressional oversight.