MAKING A FOIA REQUEST

There are no forms to fill out when submitting a FOIA request. When you have accumulated as much information about the record you want, write a letter. It is always a good idea to write "FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUEST" in your letter and annotate it on the envelope.

Your request must be "reasonably described" in sufficient detail for a knowledgeable official of the Marine Corps to locate the record within a reasonable amount of effort. A record is reasonably described when the description contains file related information such as type of document, title, subject area, date of creation or originator; or event-related information (date and circumstances). The more specific and limited the request, the greater the likelihood that it will be processed expeditiously. This could also result in savings in the cost of search fees.

Also, prior to processing a request you must provide a statement about your willingness to pay all costs, costs up to a certain amount, or state a reason for requesting a fee waiver/reduction of fees (See sample letter below).

Sample request letter:

Department of Defense (DOD) Component Head [or FOIA Officer]
DoD Component
Address
City, State, ZipCode

Dear :

This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552).

I request that a copy of the following document(s) be provided to me:
[identify the documents as specifically as possible].

To help you determine my status for the purpose of assessing fees, you
know that I am [insert one of the descriptions below]
a representative of the news media affiliated with the __________newspaper (magazine,
television stations, etc.), and this request is made
as part of news gathering and not for commercial use.

affiliated with an educational or noncommercial scientific institution, and this request is made for a scholarly or scientific purpose and not for a commercial use.

affiliated with a private business and am seeking information for use in the company's business.

an individual seeking information for personal use and not for
commercial use. I am willing to pay fees for this request up to a maximum
of $ ______. If you estimate that the fees will exceed this limit, please
inform me first.

[optional] I request a waiver of fees for this request because disclosure of
the requested information to me is in the public interest because it is likely
to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations or
activities of the DoD and is not primarily in my commercial interest.
[Include details about how the requested information will disseminated by
you to the general public.]

[optional] I also include a telephone number at which I can be contacted
if necessary to discuss any aspect of my request.

Sincerely,

Signature
(Requester's Name and Complete
Address, Phone Number [optional])

WHERE TO WRITE

You may submit your FOIA request to the following address for records at Headquarters Marine Corps:

Commandant of the Marine Corps (ARAD)
2 Navy Annex, Rm. 1018
Washington, DC 20380-1775

In the event, that our search for the requested information reveals that the information may be located at any other DoD component, we will notify you and forward your request to the appropriate cognizant authority.

Discharged or separated Marine Corps personnel (longer than 1 year) may submit
requests for their records to the following address:

Director
National Personnel Records Center
Military Personnel Records
9700 Page Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63132-5295

For any assistance in submitting FOIA requests for Marine Corps records, you may call (703) 614-4008.

Source: United States Marine Corps (Marine Link)