Any person, (U.S. or foreign) organization or business that either explicitly or implicitly invokes the FOIA may request records in writing.

Air Force-affiliated requesters, to include military and civilian employees, should not use government equipment, supplies, stationery, postage, telephones or official mail channels to make FOIA requests.

Federal agencies and fugitives from the law cannot request documents under the FOIA.

To submit (or track) a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, please visit the Air Force eFOIA Web site here.

Please ensure the following are included to make it a valid FOIA request:

• Identify the record(s) sought
• Provide a thorough description of the desired records to enable the government to locate the record with a reasonable amount of effort
• Description of records sought should include specific details such as dates and locations; this information will assist in expeditiously locating the records sought
• Indicate a willingness to pay fees associated with the processing of the request, or justify a waiver of fees
• Provide a postal mailing address, even if the request is faxed or electronically sent, and submit the FOIA request to the Air Force Base office responsible for the records sought.
• Provide your fee category (See Processing Fees tab on this page)

• Requestors have the right to appeal all denial decisions
• Appeals must be submitted within 60 days of the Initial Denial Letter
• Appeals must be sent to the Secretary of the Air Force through the office that initially denied the information

Air Force policy is to deny requests for lists of e-mail addresses (both personal and organizational) using FOIA exemption (b)(2)(high). We also rely on FOIA exemption (b)(6) when denying lists of personal e-mail addresses. High (b)(2) protects internal information, the disclosure of which would risk circumvention of a statute or agency regulation. Because DoD e-mail systems are to be used only for official and authorized purposes, the addresses are considered primarily internal. The regulations at issue that could be circumvented include DoD and AF regulations that require us to limit use of e-mail to authorized purposes, and to protect the security of your computer and information systems. Exemption (b)(6) protects information that if released would permit a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. This does not prohibit an organization from including a single e-mail address on a Web page of in correspondence.

• Normally a statutory 20-working-day time limit applies, upon receipt of a valid or corrected FOIA request.
• DoD components with a significant number of pending requests that prevent a response determination from being made within 20 working days, may institute a multi-track processing system, based on the date of receipt and the amount of work and time involved in processing the request (i.e. a first-in, first-out concept).

Military Personnel Records of Former Members

Please visit
https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/foia-info

• Hourly search and review: Clerical: $20.00, Professional: $44.00
• Duplication fees are 15¢ per page (no charge if total processing cost is $15.00 or less)

Categories

• Commercial requesters who seek information for a use or purpose that furthers their commercial, trade or profit interest are considered commercial requesters. (Pay search, review and duplication.)
• Educational or non-commercial scientific institutions or news media, institutions of education, including preschools, elementary or secondary schools, and institutions of higher learning. The records must be sought in furtherance of scholarly research. (Pay duplication charges only, unless it is determined that fees are waived or reduced in the public interest. First 100 pages are free.)
• Non-commercial scientific institutions operated solely for conducting scientific research. The records must be sought in furtherance of scientific research. (Pay duplication charges only, unless it is determined that fees are waived or reduced in the public interest. First 100 pages are free).
• News media or a representative of the news media -- a person actively gathering news for an entity organized and operated to publish or broadcast news to the public. (Pay duplication charges only, unless it is determined that fees are waived or reduced in the public interest. First 100 pages are free.)
• Other requesters who do not qualify in another category, normally making requests for agency records for their personal use. (First two hours of search, review and first 100 pages are free. Requesters in this category may also be eligible for a waiver or reduction of fees if disclosure of information is in the public interest.)