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General Information

     The 28th Bomb Wing records management office is responsible for processing requests for information under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. Each year, approximately 40 requests are handled by the records management staff, for records existing in paper, electronic and microform formats. E-mail your FOIA request here.
     If dissatisfied with the response received from the center, you may contact the FOIA Public Liaison at (703) 696-6487 or email here.

What is the FOIA?

The Freedom of Information Act Program (AFI 37-131) allows the general public including foreign citizens, military and civilian personnel acting as private citizens, to request records electronically or in writing from the Federal Government. Some records are released to the public under the Freedom of Information Act, and may therefore reflect deletion of some information in accordance with the FOIA's nine statutory exemptions or two law enforcement record exclusions. A consolidated list of such records is on Defense Link. Currently the law allows 20 working days to process a FOIA request upon receipt of the request in the FOIA office.

Processing a FOIA Request

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 copies free and pay for additional copies.
Category 3: Others. Requesters get the first two hours of search and the first 100 copies free.

How to Make a FOIA Request

FOIA requests should be addressed to:
FOIA Officer, 28 CS/SCXK
2752 Doolittle Dr. Suite 134
Ellsworth AFB, SD 57706-4853

     Requests must contain name; address; phone number of requester (See privacy act statement below); detailed description of records requests; a statement of willingness to pay fees incurred through search, review, and reproduction of the records.
     Requests can be submitted using the U.S. Postal Service, fax or hand delivered. E-mail requests will be accepted by third parties. Military members may not use government resources (such as computers, letterhead or delivery through BITC) to make a FOIA request.

Privacy Act Statement
Authority: 10 USC 8013 and 5 USC 552
     Principal Purpose: To obtain necessary information so that a response can be provided to your FOIA request
     Routine Use: Your request may be referred to another Federal agency if the record(s) you seek originated with that agency
     Disclosure: Voluntary. However, no reply can be given if the requested information is not furnished

Are you seeking a Record that is Classified?

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
E-mail: 
usaf.pentagon.saf-aa.mbx.mdr-workflow@mail.mil

FOIA Reading Room

FOIA Links

Who can submit a request?

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.

Release of E-mail Addresses

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.

Important FOIA Note

Please be advised that DoD Manual 4525.8-M/AF, Official Mail Manual, states that "The Base Information Transfer System will not deliver unofficial mass mailings addressed to individuals at the duty address. We define a mass mailing as 50 or more pieces of mail received on the same day from the same mailer. In this context, we define unofficial mail as mail addressed to an individual that does not have an official return address from a government agency." Such mail will be returned unopened to the U.S. Postal Service.

FOIA Requesters:
FOIA requesters who have questions concerning the processing of their requests with the Ellsworth AFB FOIA Office should contact this center at (605) 385-1564 or by e-mail at ellsworth.FOIA@us.af.mil. If you are not satisfied with the response from the Ellsworth AFB FOIA Office, you may contact the FOIA Public Liaison, Linda Brown at (757) 764-2265 or via e-mail at acc.foia@langley.af.mil.