Public Law 5 U.S.C. 552 enacted the Freedom of Information Act. It established statutory rights of access to government information. It generally provides that any person has a right, enforceable in court, of access to federal agency records, except to the extent that such records (or portions thereof) are protected from disclosure by one of nine exemptions or one of three special law enforcement record exclusions. See DoD 5400.7-AFMAN 33-302, dated 21 Oct 2010, DoD Freedom of Information Act Program, the prescribing directive for more information. It is important to remember that the Freedom of Information Act applies only to records held by 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 be consulted for access to state and local records.
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. Government employees submitting requests should not use government equipment, supplies, stationery, postage, telephones, or official mail channels to make FOIA requests.
FOIA requests for the 446th Airlift Wing, McChord Field, JBLM, must be submitted in writing and include a title or reasonable description of the desired records and a statement on willingness to pay fees for search, review, and reproduction. Or submit a request via mail, fax, or hand carry to the following address:
446 FSS/SCOK (FOIA)
1205 12th St NE
SUITE 112
JBLM, WA 98438
PHONE: (253) 982-1011
Sample FOIA Request Letter
COMPANY NAME (If Applicable)
NAME
ADDRESS
CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE +4
COMMERCIAL TELEPHONE:
FAX NUMBER: (If Applicable)
446 FSS/SCOK (FOIA)
1205 12th St NE
SUITE 112
JBLM, WA 98438
(Date of Request)
Dear FOIA Officer: Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), I request (Identify the required documents or information as specifically as possible to include all possible locations, if known).
I am willing to pay all required fees incurred in providing this information. I am willing to pay required fees for this information up to a maximum of $(Amount). If fees exceed this amount, please obtain payment approval prior to incurring the debt or providing the information.
I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on (DATE).
Sincerely,
(PRINTED NAME AND SIGNATURE)
AUTHORITY: 10 U.S.C. 8013 and 5 U.S.C. 552 PURPOSE: To obtain necessary information so that a response can be provided to a FOIA request. ROUTINE USE: A request may be referred to another Federal Agency if the record(s) originated with that agency. DISCLOSURE: Voluntary; However, no reply can be given if the requested information is not furnished.
For FOIA requests for the Army, visit the following webpage for more information:
https://home.army.mil/lewis-mcchord/index.php/my-Joint-Base-Lewis-Mcchord/all-services/foia-and-privacy-act