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Freedom of Information Act

Welcome to Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Web site!

The Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552, provides that any person has the right, enforceable in court, to request access to federal agency records (or portions of those records), except for those records that are protected from disclosure by one or more of the nine FOIA exemptions and three exclusions (resons for which an agency may withhold records from a requestor). See Document Library for "FOIA Exemptions." Currently, the law allows 20 working days to process a FOIA request upon receipt of the request in the FOIA office.

Members of the public, including foreign citizens, military and civilian personnel acting as private citizens, organizations and businesses, and individual members of 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 it's own public access laws that should be consulted for access to state and local records.

Information provided here is intended to assist you in submitting a Freedom of Information Act request to Commander, Navy Installations and its component organizations.

If you wish to access other Privacy Act Information for DOD, click here; for DON, click here .

Foia Request

Step 1:  Preparing Your Request

1. Your request should state:  "This is a Freedom of Information Act Request."

2. Describe the specific record(s) you are seeking with enough detail so that a knowledgeable agency official can locate the record(s) with a reasonable amount of effort.  Details should include descriptive information, time frame to be searched, full names and any other information that may assist in identifying the subject of the request.  CNIC IS NOT the appropriate agency to submit FOIA requests for records such as military justice/admin board records, military personnel service/disciplinary records, medical treatment records, records of Navy weapons or weapons systems, or records of Navy supply systems. 

3. Because most Navy records are not retained permanently, the more information provided, the better opportunity there is to determine if the records still exist and where.  The Freedom of Information Act clearly states that records must exist at the time of the request.  Also, agencies are not required to create a record(s) to comply with your request.

4. The Freedom of Information Act does not require agencies to answer questions, venture opinions, or conduct independent inquiries to satisfy queries from the public.  Please ensure your request asks for records, not answers to questions.

5. Freedom of Information Act authorizes agencies to estimate and collect fees associated with the search for, review and duplication of federal records.  State your willingness to pay all fees or those fees up to a specified amount, and if applicable, provide supporting information or documentation to justify a fee waiver.

6. Be sure to include your name, complete mailing address and telephone number.


Step 2: Submitting Your Request

You may submit your request via email to: CNICHQ_FOIA@us.navy.mil
Alternatively, you may submit your request by mail to: 

U.S. Mail:  Commander, Navy Installations Command
ATTN: FOIA Coordinator
716 Sicard Street SE Suite 207
Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5140

   
Step 3:  Processing Your Request

Upon receipt of your request you will receive an acknowledgement letter (via mail, email, fax, etc.) within 3 business days providing you with the date your request was received, a case tracking number and identifying a point of contact and telephone number to address any questions you have.

Activities are required to process your request within 20 working days (does not include Saturdays, Sundays or legal holidays); however, due to the complexity of certain requests, on occasion we may not be able to respond within that period. 

To ensure fair and equitable treatment, Freedom of Information Act requests are placed in a multi-track "first-in, first-out," queue. This command operates a three-track system:  one for simple requests, one for complex requests and one for expedited requests.  By narrowly focusing your request, you can assist us to more quickly and thoroughly process your request.

Some records may be withheld from public disclosure and need not be made available.  Categories that are exempt from the Freedom of Information Act are:

  • Classified information
  • Internal rules and practices  
  • Information denied by other specific withholding statutes
  • Trade secrets and commercial or financial information given in confidence
  • Inter- and Intra-Agency communication, primarily deliberative in nature
  • Personal information protected by the Privacy Act
  • Investigative information compiled for law enforcement
  • Reports on financial institutions
  • Geological and geophysical information and data (including maps) concerning well


If you are not satisfied with the response from this center, you may contact the DON FOIA Public Liaison, Christopher Julka, at (703) 697-0031


Step 4:  Appeals

You may appeal the denial of information. Your letter of appeal must be postmarked within 90 calendar days of the date of the denial letter.  At a minimum, an appeal letter should state the following information:

  1. Why the denial may be in error, and
  2. Reason(s) why your appeal should be granted.

You should include a copy of your original request and a copy of the response letter denying your request.  It is recommended you clearly mark your letter and the envelope "Freedom of Information Act Appeal."

Appellate authorities for the Department of the Navy are the office of General Counsel and the Office of the Judge Advocate General.

For Freedom of Information Act matters pertaining to business and commercial law, civilian personnel issues, and environmental matters, please submit your appeal to: 

General Counsel of the Navy
Department of the Navy
ATTN: FOIA APPEALS
1000 Navy Pentagon, Room 5A532
Washington, DC  20350-1000

However, mail is NOT the recommended method of appeal submission to the OGC.  Instead, the preferred method is to use the following email address: DONOGCAPPEALS@us.navy.mil

For Freedom of Information Act matters pertaining to military justice, military law, and all other matters except those falling under the General Counsel, please submit your appeal to:

Office of the Judge Advocate General
Department of the Navy
ATTN: FOIA APPEALS
1332 Patterson Ave SE Suite 3000
Washington Navy Yard DC 20374-5066

Processing Request

 

For purposes of assessing fees, the FOIA establishes three categories of requesters: (1) commercial; (2) non-commercial scientific, educational institutions and news media, and (3) all other requesters. Different fees are assessed depending on the category of requester (5 U.S.C. §552(a)(4)(A)). The Department of Defense (DoD) Schedule of Fees is set by regulation in 32 CFR §286.12.
Requesters should submit, along with their written request, a fee payment declaration appropriate for the categories listed below.
  • A representative of the media affiliated with (give name of media - television station, newspaper, magazine, etc.) and this request is made as a part of news-gathering and not for commercial use. 

    Sample:  I am willing to pay reasonable standard charges for document duplication which exceeds the first 100 pages.

     
  • Affiliated with an educational or noncommercial scientific institution.  This request is made for a scholarly or scientific purpose and the records sought are not for commercial use. 

    Sample:  I am willing to pay reasonable standard charges for document duplication which exceeds the first 100 pages.

     
  • Affiliated with a private business and seeking information for use in the company's business. 

    Sample:  I am willing to pay all reasonable search, review and duplication costs associated with processing this request.

     
  • An individual seeking information for personal use and not for commercial use.

    Sample:  I am willing to pay all fees associated with processing this request up to $ (state amount) of the amount which exceeds 2 hours of search effort and duplication of 100 pages.  If you estimate that the total processing fees will exceed this amount, please inform me prior to initiating a search for responsive records.

     
  • Waiver of Fees.  (Optional)
  • The Freedom of Information Reform Act sets forth two basic requirements, both of which must be satisfied before fees properly assessable can be waived or reduced. First, it must be established that disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations or activities of the government. Second, it must be established that disclosure of the information is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester. Where one or both of these requirements is not satisfied, a fee waiver is not warranted under the statute.

    Sample:  I request a waiver of fees for this request because disclosure of the requested information to me is in the public interest, is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations or activities of the Department of the Navy, and is not primarily in my commercial interest.
Reading Room

The CNIC Electronic Reading Room is the single site for all CNIC Reading Room records. The 1996 amendments to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) mandate publicly accessible "electronic reading rooms" with agency FOIA response materials and other information routinely available to the public.

 

Navy's FOIA Electronic Reading Room:
https://foia.navy.mil/foia/webbas02.nsf/(vwwebpage)/home.htm?opendocument


Names and Duty Stations Addresses Including E-Mail - 10 U.S.C. Section 130(b) prohibits the release of names and duty station addresses and e-mail addresses of individuals who are stationed overseas, routinely deployable, or assigned to sensitive unites. All other addresses are withheld under 5 U.S.C. Section 552(b)(6). 

 

CNIC's POCs

For Commander, Navy Installations Command Headquarters submit requests to:

Commander, Navy Installations Command
Attn:  FOIA Coordinator
716 Sicard Street SE Suite 207
Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5140
Email:  CNICHQ_FOIA@us.navy.mil 

 

Freedom of Information Act requests should be sent directly to the Commander, Navy Installations Command region most likely to have the record(s) that you are seeking under FOIA. Please use the following CNIC regional listing to determine which region to file your FOIA request.

United States

Commander, Navy Region Hawaii (CNRH)
FOIA Coordinator
850 Ticonderoga Street, Suite 110
Pearl Harbor, HI 96860-5101
Email:   john.e.mcdonald1@navy.mil 

Installations
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HI
Region Legal Service Office, HI
Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kekaha, HI
Naval Submarine Training Center, Pacific
   

Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic (CMNRA)
FOIA Coordinator
1510 Gilbert Street, RM 3304
Norfolk, VA 23511-2737
Email:  CNRMA_FOIA@us.navy.mil  

Installations
Naval Station Great Lakes 
Naval Support Activity Crane
Norfolk Naval Shipyard
Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story
Naval Support Activity Lakehurst
Naval Air Station Oceana
Naval Nuclear Power Training Unit
Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Newport
Naval Submarine Base New London
Naval Submarine School
Naval Support Activity Mechanicsburg
Naval Support Activity Philadelphia
Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads 
Naval Support Unit Saratoga
Naval Weapons Station Earle
Naval Weapons Station Yorktown
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard 

 

 

Commander, Naval District Washington (NDW)
Attn: FOIA Coordinator
1343 Dahlgren Avenue, SE
Bldg 1, 1st Floor
Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374
Email:  catrina.j.simpson.civ@us.navy.mil 

Installations
NSA Washington
NSA South Potomac
NSA Bethesda
NSA Annapolis
NAS Patuxent River
NSF Thurmont
   

Commander, Navy Region Northwest (CNRNW)
FOIA Coordinator
1100 Hunley Road
Silverdale, WA 98315-1100
Email:  jeanna.b.rice.civ@us.navy.mil

Installations
Naval Station Everett
Naval Air Station Whidbey Island
Naval Base Kitsap
Naval Magazine Indian Island
   

Commander, Navy Region Southeast (CNRSE)
FOIA Coordinator
PO Box 102
Jacksonville, FL 32212-0102
Email:  nadine.n.pryuer.mil@us.navy.mil 

Installations
Naval Air Station Key West
Naval Station Mayport
Naval Air Station, Jacksonville
Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, TX
Naval Air Station, Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, TX 
Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
Naval Air Station, Meridian, MI
Naval Air Station, Pensacola, FL
Naval Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport, MS
Naval Support Activity, New Orleans, LA
Naval Air Station, Whiting Field, FL
Naval Air Station, Kingsville, TX
Naval Support Activity, Panama City, FL
Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay
Navy Nuclear Power Training Unit, Goose Creek, SC
Naval Weapons Station Charleston, SC (Naval Support Activity Charleston)


   

Commander, Navy Region Southwest (CNRSW)
Attn: FOIA Coordinator
750 Pacific Highway
San Diego, CA 92132-0058
Email:  CNRSW_N00J_FOIA@us.navy.mil 

Installations
Naval Base San Diego
Transient Personnel Unit
Naval Base Point Loma
Naval Air Facility El Centro
Naval Base Coronado
Naval Air Station Lemoore
Naval Base Ventura County
Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake
Naval Air Station Fallon
Naval Support Activity Monterey
Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach


Overseas

Commander Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia (CNREURAFCENT)
PSC 817, Box 108
FPO AE 09622-0108

Email:   maria.m.miele2.ln@us.navy.mil
Installations
U.S. Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, Greece
U.S. Naval Support Activity Bahrain
Camp Lemonier, Djibouti
Naval Support Facility Redzikowo, Poland
Naval Support Facility Deveselu, Romania
U.S. Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy
POC Email:    eileen.m.joy2.mil@us.navy.mil 
            tiziana.orso.ln@us.navy.mil
U.S. Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy
    POC Email:    michaela.d.boppe.mil@us.navy.mil 
            carin.l.deitler.mil@us.navy.mil
U.S. Naval Station Rota, Spain
    POC Email:    Rota.Legal@eu.navy.mil
  

Commander, Navy Region Japan (CNRJ)
PSC 473, Box 11
FPO AP 96349-0012

 

Installations
U.S. Fleet Activities, Yokosuka
U.S. Naval Air Facilities, Atsugi
U.S. Fleet Activities, Sasebo
U.S. Fleet Activities, Okinawa
U.S. Navy Support Facility, Diego Garcia
Singapore Area Coordinator
U.S. Naval Air Facility, Misawa
   

Commander, Navy Region Korea (CNRK)
Unit 15250
FPO AP 96205-5250Email:  richard.culbert@fe.navy.mil 

Installations
Fleet Activities Chinhae

   

Commander, Joint Region Marianas (CJRM)
PSC 455, Box 152
FPO AP 96540-1000
Email:  JRMFOIA@us.navy.mil

Installations
U.S. Naval Base (NAVBASE) Guam, Marianas Islands
U.S. NAVSUPPACT Andersen, Marianas Islands
U.S. Pacific Command, Det.t Civic Action Team Guam (Palau)

Privacy Act Request

Commander, Navy Installations Command Privacy Act Request Points of Contact

For Commander, Navy Installations Command Headquarters submit requests to:

Commander, Navy Installations Command
Attention: Privacy Act Coordinator
716 Sicard Street SE Suite 1000
Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5140
Telephone: (202) 433-4281

E-mail: CNICHQ_Privacy@us.navy.mil

Privacy Act requests should be sent directly to the Commander, Navy Installations Command region most likely to have the record(s) that you are seeking. Please use the following CNIC regional listing to determine with which region to file your Privacy Act request.

E-mail requests are permitted; however, the individual requesting his/her records must be officially identified before further proceedings.


There is no specific form to fill out. Simply label your request "PRIVACY ACT REQUEST" on both the request and envelope; identify the specific Privacy Act system of records you wish to have searched (see Index of Privacy Act Systems of Records at the Department of the Navy’s Privacy Office web site: https://dpcld.defense.gov/Privacy/SORNsIndex/DOD-Component-Notices/NavyUSMC-Article-List/), and submit your request according to the requirements set forth under "Record Access Procedures" of the system of records notice.

 

  • FOIA Exemptions

    The Freedom of Information Act 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 therof) are protected from disclosure by one of nine exemptions, or by one of three special law enforcement record exclusions.

    Exemption (b)(1) protects from disclosure national security information concerning the national defense or foreign policy, provided that it has been properly classified in accordance with Executive Order 12958.

    Exemption (b)(2) exempts from mandatory disclosure records "related solely to the internal personnel rules and practices of an agency."

    Exemption (b)(3) covers information "specifically exempted from disclosure by statute."

    Exemption (b)(4) protects "trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person that is privileged or confidential."

    Exemption (b)(5) protects "inter-agency or intra-agency memorandums or letters which would not be available by law to a party . in litigation with the agency."

    Exemption (b)(6) permits the government to withhold all information about individuals in "personnel and medical files and similar files" when the disclosure of such information "would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy."

    Exemption (b)(7)(A) authorized the withholding of "records or information compiled for law enforcement purposes, but only to the extent that production of such law enforcement records or information could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings."

    Exemption (b)(7)(B) protects "records or information compiled for law enforcement purposes (the disclosure of which) would deprive a person of a right to a fair trail or an impartial adjudication."

    Exemption (b)(7)(C) provides protection for personal information in law enforcement records the disclosure of which "could reasonably be expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy."

    Exemption (b)(7)(D) provides protection for "records or information compiled for law enforcement purposes which could reasonably be expected to disclose the identity of a confidential source and information furnished by a confidential source."

    Exemption (b)(7)(E) provides protection to all law enforcement information which "would disclose techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigation or prosecutions, or would disclose guidelines for law enforcements investigations or prosecutions if such disclosure could reasonably be expected to risk circumvention of the law."

    Exemption (b)(7)(F) permits the withholding of information necessary to protect the physical safety of "any individual" when disclosure of information about his/her "could reasonably be expected to endanger his/her life or physical safety."

    Exemption (b)(8) protects matter that are "contained in or related to examination, operating, or condition reports prepared by, on behalf of, or for the use of an agency responsible for the regulation or supervision of financial institutions."

    Exemption (b)(9) protects "geological and geophysical information on data, including maps, concerning wells."
  •  
  • FOIA Exclusions
    The (c)(1) exclusion authorizes federal law enforcement agencies, under specified circumstances, to shield the very existence of records of ongoing investigations or proceedings by excluding them entirely from the FOIA's reach.

    The (c)(2) exclusion provides that "whenever informant records maintained by a criminal law enforcement agency under an informant's name or personal identifier are requested by a third party, the agency may treat the records as not subject to the requirements of the FOIA unless the informant's status
    has been officially confirmed."

    The (c)(3) exclusion pertains only to certain law enforcement records that are maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
Expedited Processing.  (Optional)

Under the FOIA, an agency may grant expedited processing for requesters who demonstrate a compelling need, or for any other case deemed appropriate by the agency (5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(E)). A requester can show “compelling need” in one of two ways: (1) by establishing that his or her failure to obtain the records quickly could reasonably be expected to pose an imminent threat to the life or physical safety of an individual; or (2) if the requester is a person primarily engaged in dissemination of information, by demonstrating that there exists an urgency to inform the public concerning actual or alleged Federal Government activity. 

Additionally, a request may also be expedited if it is shown that substantial due process rights of the requester would be impaired by the failure to process immediately and that the information sought is not otherwise available. (It is not sufficient, however, for a requester merely to allege that requested records are needed in connection with a judicial or administrative proceeding.)

If you believe your request qualifies for expedited processing, you may submit a request for expedited processing together with your FOIA request. 
 

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