In the United States, Dr. Vallée says that there has always been, on the part of the government, especially the Pentagon, a sense that civilian sightings are unreliable. The reason, he said, is that civilians don’t have the technology to really document what happens...

and of course the Pentagon does. But, Dr. Vallée says, there’s no reason that "a farmer in his field” isn’t qualified to give a quality observation of a possible U.F.O. The civilian observations tend to be longer, more detailed, and they tend to leave a trace that we can analyze.”

Did Aliens Land on Earth in 1945? A Defense Bill Seeks Answers. - The New York Times (nytimes.com)