FOIA

This Defense Commissary Agency Freedom of Information and Privacy Act Office manages the policy and procedural guidance for the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act (PA) programs in accordance with applicable laws.

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), enacted in 1966, generally provides that any person has a right, enforceable in court, to obtain access to federal agency records, except to the extent that such records (or portions of them) are protected from public disclosure by one of nine exemptions or by one of three special law enforcement record exclusions.

This information is intended to help you make requests for Agency Records under the Freedom of Information Act and/or the Privacy Act. It will get you started and provide you with a brief description of your rights and the manner in which DeCA will respond to your requests.

The FOIA, which is known by its legal citation as 5 U.S.C. § 552, along with the Department of Defense (DoD) Regulation, governs how requests will be processed within the DoD. DoD Regulation 5400.7-R, "Department of Defense Freedom of Information Act Program," can be found at Part 286 of Chapter 32 of the Code of Federal Regulations. It is available in most public libraries and can be viewed on the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) website. In addition, you can view the Defense Commissary Agency FOIA Program directive (listed below).

DeCA established its FOIA Requester Service Center to ensure that requesters in need of assistance have a point of contact to receive status updates, as well as to answer questions and assist with any other information about their requests. Contact information for the DeCA FOIA Requester Service Center is as follows:

FOIA Requester Service Center

• Phone: (804) 734-8000, extension 4-8116
• Fax: (804) 734-8259
• Address: 1300 E Avenue, Fort Lee, VA 23801-1800
• Email: foia@deca.mil

If you wish to raise concerns about the service you have received from the Requester Service Center, you may contact the DeCA FOIA Public Liaison.

Prior to submitting a request for Agency records:

• Please visit the FOIA Electronic Reading Room to see if the document you are seeking is publicly available. If not, please review the FAQs before submitting a request.
• If you are an employee and are seeking records on yourself, click here.

If you have checked the Electronic Reading Room and were not able to locate the document(s) you are seeking and wish to submit a request by email, send to FOIA@deca.mil. Requests may also be sent via facsimile to the FOIA Officer at (804) 734–8259. If you wish to send a FOIA request by US Mail please label your request “Freedom of Information Act Request”, preferably within the request letter and on the envelope, and address the request to the following address:

Prior to submitting your request, please ensure the following requirements are met:

• Request must include a postal mailing address, regardless of the way it was submitted.
• Include your name, address, telephone number, and a statement of the records being sought, identified as specifically as possible. 
• Request must be for Agency records; the FOIA is NOT a research service, therefore no questions are answered under the FOIA. 
• State your willingness to pay applicable fees. 
• Employees may not use Government equipment to submit a FOIA request.