The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) generally provides that any person has a right, enforceable in court, to obtain access to federal agency records, except to the extent that such records (or portions of them) are protected from public disclosure by "one of nine exemptions" or by "one of the three special law enforcement record exclusions". (see Quick Links)

The principles of government openness and accountability underlying the FOIA are inherent in the democratic ideal: "The basic purpose of the FOIA is to ensure an informed citizenry, vital to the functioning of a democratic society, needed to check against corruption and to hold the governors accountable to the governed."

Click here for the full text of the Freedom of Information Act.

Members of the public, including foreign citizens, military and civilian personnel acting as private citizens, organizations and businesses, and individual members of the Congress for themselves or constituents, may request records in writing. It is important to remember that the Freedom of Information Act applies only to federal agencies. It does not create a right of access to records held by Congress, the courts, state or local government agencies, or by private businesses or individuals. Each state has its own public access laws that should by consulted for access to state and local records.

Fees are assessed depending on which group the request falls into:

Category 1: Commercial. Requesters pay all search, review, and duplication.

Category 2: Educational or Noncommercial Scientific Institution or News Media. Requesters get the first 100 pages free and pay for additional pages.

Category 3: Others. Requesters get the first two hours of search and the first 100 pages free.

Send requests for 35th Fighter Wing records to:
35 CS/SCXK
FOIA Manager
Unit 5020
APO AP 96319-5020

Please ensure you mention "FOIA" and indicate a willingness to pay fees associated with the processing of your request or, in the alternative, why a waiver of fees may be appropriate. Written requests may be received by postal service, facsimile or electronically at 35cs.foia@us.af.mil Faxed or e-mailed requests must have a mailing address included since it may not be practical to provide a substantive response electronically.

You can also submit a FOIA request online at https://www.efoia.af.mil/palMain.aspx or visit the U.S. Air Force FOIA page at http://www.foia.af.mil.

If you are dissatisfied with the service received from the FOIA Requester Service Center, you may contact the Air Force FOIA Public Liaison Officer by email or phone at (703) 614-8500.

Mandatory Declassification Review

If you are only seeking a copy of a record or records that are currently classified, and would like the record reviewed for appropriate declassification and release, you should file a Mandatory Declassification Review request. Mandatory Declassification Review is a provision of Presidential Executive Order 13526 that allows members of the public to request a mandatory declassification review of a classified document in order to obtain a releasable version of the document. The desired document requested must be specified in sufficient detail that it can be readily located. The record in question may not be the subject of litigation. The mandatory declassification review process can be a very timely and in-depth, due to the classification of materials being reviewed by internal and outside agencies.  MDR decisions can be administratively appealed to the Headquarters Air Force/AAII (Mandatory Declassification Review) or Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP).

 

Requests for review and release of classified records under the MDR process can be made to:

 

Headquarters Air Force/AAII (Mandatory Declassification Review)

 

1000 Air Force Pentagon

 

Washington, DC 20330-1000

 

Email

 

Telephone: (703) 695-2226