Public Safety Alerts

Authorities in New Mexico are searching for retired Maj. Gen. William Neil McCasland, 68, a former commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory and longtime Kirtland Air Force Base leader, who was last seen around 11 a.m. Friday near Quail Run Court NE in Albuquerque. The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office has issued a Silver Alert, saying unspecified medical issues heighten concern for his safety and that they do not know what he was wearing or which direction he went. McCasland, commissioned in 1979 after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a degree in astronautical engineering, previously led Kirtland’s Phillips Research Site and held senior posts in space research, acquisition and National Reconnaissance Office operations. Kirtland’s 377th Air Base Wing commander, Col. Justin Secrest, said the base is coordinating with local authorities and that their thoughts are with McCasland’s family. Anyone with information has been asked to contact the sheriff’s Missing Persons Unit or send tips via text, as the search continues in and around Albuquerque.