The Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552) provides that any person has a right to obtain access to federal agency records, except to the extent that such records (or portion of them) are protected from public disclosure by one of the nine exemptions or by one of three special law enforcement record exclusions.

Preparing A FOIA Request

FOIA requests made to the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) should relate only to those matters or issues which directly involve the organization and its mission, which includes:

• Medical Department Professional/Technical Personnel Development
• Health Care Accounts and Insurance Information
• Quality Assurance/Risk Management
• Blood Donor Files

FOIA requests should be made in writing. Additionally, requests should include:

• The description of the specific record(s) you are seeking with enough detail s that a knowledgeable agency official may locate the record(s) with a reasonable amount of effort. Such detail should include descriptive information, timeframe to be searched, full names, and any other pertinent information that may assist in identifying the subject of the request.
• An indication of your willingness to pay all fees or those up to a specified amount or provide a justification to support a fee waiver.
• Your name, address (including zip code) and telephone number