Sailor Reports Same Object Seen Twice During U.S. Naval Exercises In Bahamas - 1998

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In 1998, while  aboard a U.S. Naval Destroyer on 'exercise in the Bahamas, a sailor observed lights near the vessel.  Here is that report, which was recently submitted to MUFON.

Please note that there is some spelling corrections in this report.  To see original report, click on the case number. -SW

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MUFON Case # 31972
Event Date: 1998-05-12
Status:    Not yet assigned
Location: Near Puerto Rico & U.S. Virgin Islands
Shape:    Other
Distance:  20 feet or less
Summary:  seen same object 2 times during U.S. Navy Exercises

Report:
At the time if the incident(s) I was serving on board a U.S. Navy Destroyer, and we were sent out to sea around Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Bahamas for Naval missile and bombing war exercises. The first incident took place during an unrep (taking on fuel, which means pulling along side a tanker ship while still in motion). It was a night unrep, I only ever partook in day unreps. I was assigned with a few of my shipmates on the flight deck, getting ready to receive a distance line that the crew from the tanker was about to shoot over to us, so we weren't too busy at the time. I was looking around at the tanker and I noticed that their mast had an unusual large amount of lights, as I continued to look at the mast I noticed a formation of about 6 white orb like lights had separated from the tankers mast lights and that's when I realized that it was a aircraft following us, the lights seemed to be in an arch-like formation from my point of view. And it seemed very interested in what we were up to. I looked around the deck of the ship to see if anyone else was seeing this, but everyone was too busy with their assigned jobs. During an unrep it's all hands on deck, the entire crew has to help out. I knew we were the only ships in the area, and it wasn't our helo (helicopter) because our's was in the hanger, and the tankers helicopter was secured on their flight deck. When I finally decided to tell my shipmates to look at what I was seeing, I pointed at it, and suddenly one light went off, then the next one, then the rest in order, it was as if it realized I seen it, anyway my shipmates didn't see it, and I had to now start working so I put it in the back of my mind.

About a 3 days later I had to start my aft-lookout watch (basically you stand out on the back of the ship looking for surface and air contacts, and report them to combat operations) My watch started right at dusk so there was still light in the sky. We were prepping a old stripped out destroyer with a tracking device for bombing exercises the next day, we were going to sink it. We were DIW (Dead in the water) engines off so the boat crew could board the old destroyer. I remember the water was so calm it was like floating on a mirror. One of my friends came down to have a cigarette and we were so interested in what the boat crew was doing, that I forgot i was on watch so I turned around,and as I did, there it was, the very same aircraft I saw a few nights before. Remember there was still light in the sky, enough to realize that these 6 white orbs seemed to be attached to something, but you could not see any superstructure. I asked my friend if he was seeing this, and he was scared to death. We were both in shock. It had to be about 20ft away from us right over the fantail rails not 10 ft over the water. The lights were bright but not blinding, and guessing had to be about the size of a large tractor-trailer tire. That's the only way i can describe it. The craft itself was at least 20ft in length. It made absolutely no sound, and was completely still. The weird thing was, to me, that it seemed to have been there for while before I first noticed it. And I had the distinct feeling it was waiting for me to come out for my watch. These watches are rotated between my division and it was my turn to have the night watch, and the person that stands the night watch has to be alone all night and into dawn by yourself. No one is allowed on deck at night but the aft-lookout. Anyway after for about 30 seconds of both of us staring at it, it shut it lights off in sequence left to right and just disappeared right before our eyes. I didn't see it fly off in the sky or go underwater, it just vanished. My friend freaked out and ran off leaving me out there all by myself all night. Needless to say, I was terrified and requested to switch to the bridge and take the helm, while my shipmate took my aft-lookout watch. Of course I didn't tell her what happened or what I seen. I did report it to combat operations after it vanished but they said they never saw anything on radar and quickly dismissed my report. It just seemed very interested in our activities. Makes you think huh? I swear this happened and it was definitely not our military technology, I hope we never have to fight against anything like that, because we will be utterly defeated.


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