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 three special law enforcement record exclusions.

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."

To submit a FOIA request on line: https://efoia.milcloud.mil/App/Home.aspx

To submit a request by mail or inquire on an existing request:
HQ AFAA/DOV
Attn: FOIA Manager
1500 West Perimeter Road Room 4700
Joint Base Andrews MD 20762
Comm (240) 612-5120
E-mail: usaf.petagon.saf-ag.mbx.AFAA-FOIA@mail.mil

For more information on the FOIA and how to submit a proper request, please visit the Air Force FOIA website at http://www.foia.af.mil.

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: usaf.pentagon.saf-aa.mbx.mdr-workflow@mail.mil
Telephone: (703) 695-2226