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

To submit a FOIA/PA request to the Department of the Navy, please do so via our online portal at www.securerelease.us or through FOIA.gov - Freedom of Information Act. This is the fastest and most reliable way to send us your request, and it ensures that all requests are properly and accurately tracked from the date/time of submission.

******* To assist us in responding to your request as quickly as possible, please submit it to the
correct office after reviewing the information below.

******* For your own Official Military Personnel File –
Send to bupers-00j@navy.mil. In the subject line please state “FOIA Request".
If you are Retired/Discharged/Separated, please send to Military Personnel Records | National Archives 

******* For your own medical record (the Navy does not maintain medical records) -
If you are Retired/Discharged/Separated, please send to the National Archives.  www.archives.gov/veterans.
If you are Retired/Discharged/Separated between May 1, 1994, and December 31,2013, please contact the VA.  www.va.gov

******* For Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) records: Please submit your request to the
United States Navy via the Secure Release portal.
   

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 IG Case 201600681 IR 1-26-17
• Engineering Survey of U.S. Navy Petroleum Facilities at Pearl Harbor
• IG Report 201601079 
• Boat Fire – 25 August 2018

 

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). 

 

FOIA Links

For additional Freedom of Information Act information, please visit the following web sites:

Department of Justice Freedom of Information Homepage

United States Navy Freedom of Information Act Contact Page

SECNAVINST 5211.5F, Department of the Navy Privacy Act (PA) Program

SECNAVINST 5720.42G, Department of the Navy Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Program

Department of Navy FOIA Handbook

Department of Defense Freedom of Information Homepage

Department of Defense Freedom of Information Handbook

United States Marine Corps Freedom of Information Act Homepage

United States Air Force Freedom of Information Act Homepage

United States Army Freedom of Information Act Homepage

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.