DoD FOIA release (case 21-FR-0964)

Department of Defense Freedom of Information Division, case 21-FR-0964, released on March 29, 2024, via The Black Vault. This document is a response to a Freedom of Information Act request submitted by Mr. John Greenwald on May 5, 2021. The request was received by the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Privacy, Civil Liberties, and Transparency on February 3, 2022, and assigned the case number 21-FR-0964. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION DIVISION 1155 DEFENSE PENTAGON WASHINGTON, DC 20301-1155 Ref: 21-FR-0964 March 29, 2024 Mr. John Greenwald The Black Vault 27305 West Live Oak Road Suite 1203 Castaic, United States 91384 Dear Mr. John Greenwald: This is a final response to your Freedom of Information Act request. We received your request from the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Privacy, Civil Liberties, and Transparency on February 3, 2022, and assigned it FOIA case number 21-FR-0964. We ask that you use this number when referring to your request. The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security conducted an additional search of their records systems and located 2 documents totaling 2 pages determined to be responsive to your request. The Initial Denial Authority has determined that portions of the pages are exempt from release pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 552 (b)(6), as disclosure of the information would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of the personal privacy of individuals. Please note that we have considered the foreseeable harm standard when reviewing records and applying exemptions under the FOIA in the processing of this request. In this instance, fees for processing your request were below the threshold for requiring payment. Please note that fees may be assessed on future requests. If you have any questions or concerns about the foregoing or about the processing of your request, please do not hesitate to contact the Action Officer assigned to your request, Tyra Howard, at (571) 372-0467 or tyra.d.howard.civ@mail.mil. Additionally, if you have concerns about service received by our office, please contact a member of our Leadership Team at 571-372-0498 or Toll Free at 866-574-4970. Should you wish to inquire about mediation services, you may contact the OSD/JS FOIA Public Liaison, Toni Fuentes, at 571-372-0462, or by email at OSD.FOIALiaison@mail.mil. You may also contact the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) at the National Archives and Records Administration to inquire about the FOIA mediation services they offer. The contact information for OGIS is as follows: Office of Government Information Services National Archives and Records Administration 8601 Adelphi Road-OGIS College Park, MD 20740 E-mail: ogis@nara.gov Telephone: 202-741-5770 Fax: 202-741-5769 Toll-free: 1-877-684-6448 You have the right to appeal to the appellate authority, Ms. Joo Chung, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Privacy Civil Liberties, and Transparency (PCLT), Office of the Secretary of Defense, at the following address: 4800 Mark Center Drive, ATTN: PCLFD, FOIA Appeals, Mailbox #24, Alexandria, VA 22350-1700. Your appeal must be postmarked within 90 calendar days of the date of this response. Alternatively, you may email your appeal to osd.foia-appeal@mail.mil. The document also includes a memo from Luis D. Elizondo, CIV (US), to Neill T. Tipton, SES OSD OUSD INTEL (US), dated October 3, 2017. The memo is titled "DRAFT DepSECDEF letter (UNCLASSIFIED)" and discusses the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program. CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE 5000 DEFENSE PENTAGON WASHINGTON, DC 20301-5000 MEMORANDUM FOR: RECORD SUBJECT: Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program The Department has maintained a strategic advantage over its adversaries by remaining cognizant of, and investing in new, emerging technologies, especially in the area of aerospace. In 2008, U.S. Congress provided DoD funding for the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), focusing on beyond next generation technologies in the areas of lift, propulsion, cloaking, and human effects. DoD continues to consider AATIP a priority, especially given recent advancements with Unmanned Aerial Surveillance (UAS) platforms that are becoming widely available. As the Principal Staff Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for all intelligence and security functions, the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence has a demonstrated interest for any and all reporting involving anomalous UAS threats from the Departments and Defense Agencies for the purposes of intelligence analysis and exploitation. As such, all DoD elements are hereby required to provide a courtesy copy of any data and information obtained from the field that relates to unexplained or unknown aerial systems to the Director of Defense Intelligence for Technical Collection & Special Programs, Office of the under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. Please direct any questions to [four lines redacted under exemption B1]. This is what the public record looks like at its most ordinary. storyflo.com. https://documents2.theblackvault.com/documents/dod/21-FR-0964.pdf