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Justice Delayed is Justice Denied

The Ten Oldest Pending FOIA Requests

The National Security Archive
Freedom of Information Act Audit

 
Press Release
Executive Summary
The Ten Oldest FOIA Requests in the Federal Government
Chart - Agency Response Times
Table - Oldest Outstanding FOIA Requests
Methodology
Findings Regarding The Ten Oldest FOIA Requests and FOIA Backlogs
Summary Discussion of Individual Agencies
Update on Phase One: The Ashcroft Memorandum
FOIA Audit Phase One: The Ashcroft Memo

 

 

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AIR FORCE
89 DAYS TO RESPOND TO ARCHIVE; OUTSTANDING REQUESTS AS OLD AS 13 YEARS
Recordkeeping Issues - The Air Force identified ten requests ranging from 10-13 years old. Notably, some of the Archive requests that are still open with the Air Force have been partially responded to. Because the response received appeared to relate only to the FOIA requests pending with the 11th Communications Squadron, the Archive later sent additional requests to the four other Air Force components that receive the largest number of FOIA requests.
Ten Oldest - The Air Force responded approximately 89 business days after the request was made, reporting ten FOIA requests ranging from December 5, 1989 to December 2, 1993. All ten of the requests were filed by one analyst at the National Security Archive. The requested records concern Germany and the Berlin Crisis, a 1965 study "Air Force Project Blue Lance - Interrelationship Between the Strategic Offensive and Defensive Forces," Air Force Directorate of Operations Records from the 1960s, and Air Force records from the late 1950s. As noted above, the Archive also sought responses from the four other Air Force components that receive the largest number of FOIA requests. These also demonstrated significant backlogs, although the age of the requests pending with these other four components was not as extreme as with the 11th Communications Squadron: Combat Command (June 6, 1995-May 6, 2000); Education and Training (May 22, 1994-July 29, 2003); Materiel Command (May 12, 1999-August 12, 2003); Mobility Command (No response to date).
Workload Statistics - Although Air Force's reported statistics from 1998 through 2002 indicate that the agency has experienced a reduction in the number of FOIA requests received (down 42% from 19,280 in 1998 to 11,335 in 2002), the number processed each year also has decreased (down 39% from 18,803 processed in 1998 to 11,480 processed in 2002). Air Force's processing rate per year -- a comparison of the number of requests processed to the number received -- increased from 97.53% in 1998 to 101.28% in 2002.
Backlog Statistics - Air Force's backlog has decreased (from 1507 FOIA requests pending at the end of 1998 to 1316 FOIA requests pending at the end of 2002). Its backlog as a percentage of FOIA requests processed each year has increased from 8.01% in 1998 to 11.46% in 2002. Its backlog rate by year - a comparison of those pending at the end of the year to those received during that year - has increased from 7.82% in 1998 to 11.61% in 2002.
Processing Time - Under its two track system, Air Force reports a median processing time for simple requests within the statutory timeframe (16 days in 2002), while complex requests have been reduced from a median of 100 days to 46 days over the 1998-2002 time period. Expedited requests have a median processing time range of 3-21 days over the 1998-2002 time period. The median days that backlogged requests have been pending is reported as 169 for 2002. The 10 to 13-year backlog for the Ten Oldest FOIA Requests described above show that some requests suffer a much more extensive wait, as those have been pending between 3400 to 2300 business days.

 

TEN OLDEST REQUESTS

11th Wing

11th Wing Response Letter

11th Wing December 5, 1989 Letter

11th Wing January 2, 1990 Letter

11th Wing March 7, 1990 Letter

11th Wing January 13, 1992 Letter

11th Wing April 30, 1992 Letter

11th Wing June 29, 1992 Letter

11th Wing July 16, 1992 Letter

11th Wing August 6, 1992 Letter

11th Wing August 14, 1992 Letter

11th Wing December 2, 1993 Letter

 

Air Force Materiel Command

AFMC Response Letter

AFMC May 12, 1999 Letter

AFMC October 19, 2000 Letter

AFMC September 5, 2001 (1) Letter

AFMC September 5, 2001 (2) Letter

AFMC December 18, 2001 Letter

AFMC July 26, 2002 (1) Letter

AFMC July 26, 2002 (2) Letter

AFMC August 13, 2002 Letter

AFMC August 31, 2002 Letter

AFMC September 3, 2002 Letter

AFMC February 10, 2003 Letter

AFMC August 21, 2003 Letter

 

Air Combat Command

Air Combat Command Response Letter

Air Combat Command June 6, 1995 (1) Letter

Air Combat Command June 6, 1995 (2) Letter

Air Combat Command November 30, 1995 Letter

Air Combat Command May 8, 1997 Letter

Air Combat Command September 22, 1997 (1) Letter

Air Combat Command September 22, 1997 (2) Letter

Air Combat Command March 22, 1999 (1) Letter

Air Combat Command March 22, 1999 (2) Letter

Air Combat Command July 6, 1999 Letter

Air Combat Command May 6, 2000 Letter

 

Air Force Education and Training Command

Education Training Command Response Letter

Education Training Command June 22, 1994 Letter

Education Training Command June 10, 2003 Letter

Education Training Command June 13, 2003 Letter

Education Training Command June 24, 2003 Letter

Education Training Command June 25, 2003 Letter

Education Training Command July 8, 2003 Letter

Education Training Command July 14, 2003 Letter

Education Training Command July 29, 2003 Letter

Education Training Command Final Response Letter

 

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