The United States Air Force came to Lillian to find and kill the escaped alien. Jackson Lamb tried to figure out why they were there.
In Super 8[]
After several failed attempts at capturing the alien, they started a huge wildfire that quickly spread into town, causing everyone to evacuate. However, they stayed to capture the creature. But the kids went back to Lillian, too. They were looking for Alice Dainard, who had been taken by the monster. They tried to find out as much as they could about the alien. So they broke into the school to find Mr. Woodward's film in his classroom.
They successfully found the film, while they were watching it, the Air Force broke in and found them. They took them away in a bus headed to the base, where everyone had evacuated. But the Alien attacked the bus, smashing some windows which caused the bus to come to a halt. But, Colonel Nelec found this an opportunity to tag the creature with a dart, once embedded in the alien, the tag would track all its movements.
He tells a soldier to dart it. The soldier slowly approaches the bus door and is pulled out of the bus then thrown back in by the monster. The alien then tips the bus sideways, killing one of Nelec's men. With the alien getting inside Nelec tried to contact for help , but the alien crushed the bus driver leaving him and the kids alone. Nelec hides next to the glass separating the kids from the soldiers. The alien climbed down into the bus and roared at Nelec, then killed him.