LREC Materials for Israel (Space Force)

Dear Matthew Petti,
Case Number 2024-00842-F has been assigned to the request you submitted. In all future correspondence regarding this request please reference case number 2024-00842-F. To review your submission, please log into your account: https://efoia.cce.af.mil/.
Regards,
Air Force FOIA Requester Service Center

Dear Matthew Petti,
The status of your FOIA request #2024-00842-F has been updated to the following status 'Received'. To log into the PAL Application click on the Application URL below.

https://efoia.cce.af.mil/

Sincerely,
Air Force FOIA Requester Service Center

Dear Mr. Petti

This email is sent in response to your original 15 November 2023, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) PAL request, originally assigned to AFPSC HQ, that was re-assigned to the Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) Request Service Center (RSC) on 14 December 2023. Your request with the VSFB RSC was assigned FOIA case file # 2024-00842-F.

In order to proceed with your request at the VSFB RSC, we will need to address your fee waiver request and identify responsive documents what we can search for that may be located on and owned/controlled here on VSFB. We cannot respond for the entire AFSPC HQ.

Your original FOIA request states: Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records: Any and all materials related to language, regional expertise, and culture (LREC) education and training given to those stationed in Israel, current as of October 2023. Please include handouts, brochures, pamphlets, Power Points, directives, memorandums, lecture notes, or any other relevant material. If any part of these documents are exempt from disclosure, please be sure to review and release all reasonably segregable nonexempt portions of responsive documents, as the FOIA requires.

Concerning your fee waiver request, you state: I request that I be properly classified as a media requester. I am an investigative journalist who has written numerous articles on topics of public interest for The Intercept, the Asia Times, Responsible Statecraft, the National Interest, Reason Magazine, America Magazine and the Armenian Weekly, and I am requesting these documents in an editorial capacity. Please contact me if you have any questions about my media status. The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes. In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

The information you provided is sufficient to place you in the "News Media" FOIA fee category. In this FOIA fee category, you will not incur any search, review, and excising related fees. As for duplication costs, you have agreed to accept electronic copies of CD-ROM if no electronic copies are available. You will; however, incur direct duplication charges of producing copies of responsive documents (if any are located) produced on tapes, disks, or other media, or other forms of duplication. In order to avoid these duplication charges, I will work with you to narrow the scope of the search and pinpoint the exact documents and the format of these documents you will accept.

Requests for "any and all materials" is too broad a topic to pinpoint an Office of Responsibility (OPR) who we can assign to process your for FOIA request. Identification of the records desired is the responsibility of the member of the public who requests a record. The requester must provide a description of the desired records that enables the Air Force to locate the record with a reasonable amount of effort. Since the AFSPC HQ has sent your FOIA request to VSFB RSC to process, we need to identify who the OPR is here on VSFB and detail for them what documents to search for that they may have in their possession and control. DoDM 5400.07_AFMAN 33-302, Section 6 (h) states: To be subject to the FOIA, a record must exist and be in DoD possession and control when the DoD Component searches for it. The DoD Components are not obligated to create, compile, or answer questions to satisfy a FOIA request.

I am currently trying to locate units/offices on VSFB who provide Language, Regional Expertise, and Culture (LREC) education and training to military members deploying or stationed in Israel. I will need you to confirm the timeline that was expressed as 1 January 2012 through 15 November 2023, yet in the description you state you are requesting current copies as of October 2023. Are you asking for all training material concerning LREC education going back 11 years or are you asking for current copies as of 14 December 2023? An 11-year search for responsive documents (if any are located) may result in duplication charges explained in paragraph 5 above. May I suggest you modify your timeline to request the most recent copies as of 14 December 2023?

In order to narrow the scope of the responsive documents that may be located on VSFB, may I suggest you modify your request to read: Requesting copies of training materials provided to Military members who are to be deployed or stationed at military bases in Israel to include all training provided by the Language, Regional Expertise, and Culture (LREC) education and locally developed training materials to include handouts, brochures, pamphlets, and PowerPoint presentations?

Directives, lecture notes, memorandums and any other relevant material are too broad topics to identify responsive documents created/owned here on VSFB. Directives are no created locally, you would have to identify the individual whose lecture notes and memorandums you are requesting, and we cannot define "any other relevant material" for you.

By narrowing the scope of your request, explained above, your request will reduce the search timeline from 11 years to a search for the most current training presentation as of 14 December 2023 which could result in no excessive FOIA fees being assessed for this request as explained in paragraph 5 above. By agreeing to pay FOIA fees of $25.00 this will complete your obligation to show your "intent to pay FOIA fees" and we will automatically waive any fees set at this limit. You have also asked that we provide the total charged in advance for your approval to proceed with your FOIA request and we will honor that request.

As a recap, we are suggesting you modify your current for to read: Requesting copies of training materials provided to military members who are to be deployed or stationed at military bases in Israel to include all training provided by the Language, Regional Expertise, and Culture (LREC) education and locally developed training materials to include handouts, brochures, pamphlets, and PowerPoint presentations. We also seek your approval to narrow the scope if the search from 1 January 2012 through 15 November 2023 to requesting current copies of all responsive documents as of 14 December 2023. For the documents listed as too broad in paragraph 9, you will need to identify whose lecture notes and memorandums you are seeking.

You may contact the Air Force FOIA Public Liaison Officer, Mr. Robert E. Bivins., concerning these clarifications at Air Force FOIA Public Liaison Office, 1800 Air Force Pentagon, Washington, DC 20330-1800 or DAF.FOIA@us.af.mil<mailto:DAF.FOIA@us.af.mil> or (703) 614-8500. You may also seek dispute resolution services from the Office of Government Information Services and can find information on this office at: https://www.archives.gov/ogis/mediation-program/request-assistance Using the dispute resolution services, will not affect your appeal rights.

We are holding your request in abeyance until we receive your clarification. Please reference FOIA Case 2024-00842-F in all correspondence. If we do not receive a reply by 29 December 2023, we will close this case file and you will need to initiate a new FOIA request for these documents. If no further information is received by this date, we will consider this matter closed. Please call or email if you have any questions.

Sincerely

LOUISE HENLE

VSFB FOIA Manager

30 SCS/SCXF

867 Washington Ave

Vandenberg SFB CA 93437-6120

(805) 606-7006

Cell: (805) 315-1926

FOIA Case No: 2024-00842-F

Dear Mr. Petti

This E-mail is sent as an acknowledgement receipt of your 15 December 2023 modified Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for: Copies of current, as of 14 December 2023, training materials provided to military members who are to be deployed or stationed at military bases in Israel to include all training provided by the Language, Regional Expertise, and Culture (LREC) education and locally developed training materials created at VSFB, 30 LRS, to include handouts, brochures, pamphlets, and PowerPoint presentations.

Your assigned FOIA request case file number is: 2024-00842-F.

Based on the information you have requested; we placed your request in the "Simple" processing multi-track. A simple request is one that can be processed quickly with limited impact on the responding units. The request clearly identifies the records with no (or few) complicating factors involved. There are few or no responsive records. Only one installation is involved and there are no outside OPRs. There are no classified or nongovernment records. No deliberative process/privileged materials are involved. The responsive records contain no (or limited) personal privacy information and do not come from a Privacy Act system of records. No time extensions are anticipated.

We estimate we can provide a response to your request within 20 working days. Our policy is to process requests within their respective tracks in the order in which we receive them. FOIA requests are processed as quickly as possible. We will advise you if we cannot provide a response within the FOIA statutory timeline.

The FOIA Fee Restriction prevents DoD Components from charging commercial or "other" requesters search fees, or representatives of the news media or educational requesters duplication fees if a response does not occur within 20 or 30 working days for unusual circumstances (documents not located with the office processing the FOIA request, the responsive records are voluminous, or required consultation with another agency). Fee restrictions do not apply if responsive records total more than 5,000 pages, and this office has made three or more good faith attempts to discuss with you, how to effectively limit the scope of your request.

Processing your request does not necessarily mean that information will be provided. The Freedom of Information Act, Reform Act of 1986, requires that we review each request to determine a requester's assessment of fee category. Based on your request, we have placed you in the "News Media" fee category for processing. Under this category, the first 100 pages of duplications are furnished without charge. You have agreed to accept electronic copies, if any responsive documents are located, so we anticipate no duplications cost will be assessed to you in processing your FOIA request. If any responsive documents are located and electronically filed, they will be sent by electronic mail by means of the DoD Safe Access File Exchange (DoD SAFE).

Your written request for records states you are willing to pay $25.00 for fees associated with the processing of your request. We do not anticipate any duplication costs will be assessed we will process your request up to that fee amount and we will provide our final release response for those records, as well as notify you if the cost for processing all responsive records exceeds that amount.

If you disagree and interpret this acknowledgement as an adverse action, you may write to the Secretary of the Air Force, Thru: 30 SCS/SCXF, ATTN: VSFB FOIA RSC, 867 Washington Ave, Vandenberg SFB CA 93437, within 90 calendar days from the date of this letter. Include in the appeal your reasons for reconsideration and attach a copy of this letter. You may also submit your appeal online at the Air Force's Public Access Link: https://efoia.cce.af.mil/

You may contact the Air Force FOIA Public Liaison Officer, Mr. Robert E. Bivins, concerning this response at Air Force FOIA Public Liaison Office, 1800 Air Force Pentagon, Washington, DC 20330-1800 or DAF.FOIA@us.af.mil<mailto:DAF.FOIA@us.af.mil> or (703) 614-8500. You may also seek dispute resolution services from the Office of Government Information Services and can find information on this office at: https://www.archives.gov/ogis/mediation-program/request-assistance Using the dispute resolution services, will not affect your appeal rights.

We will provide our release determination by 17 January 2024. This target date could change if there is a need for additional clarifications or any fee related issues arise. If you have any questions, please email or call (805) 606-7006 or (805) 315-1926.

Sincerely

LOUISE HENLE
VSFB FOIA Manager
30 SCS/SCXF
867 Washington Ave
Vandenberg AFB CA 93437-6120
(805) 606-7006 Cell: (805) 315-1926

FOIA Case File: 2024-00842-F

Thank you so much Mr. Petti for your gracious complements! I really do try to help all my FOIA requesters to the best of my ability.

You have the most fantastic Holiday Season.

Louise

Mr. Petti,

We have completed the processing of your FOIA request 2024-00842-F. Attached is the response letter from the Initial Denial Authority, and the responsive (requested) documents. This concludes your FOIA request 2024-00842-F. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to inform us, and as always, we hope you have a great day!

Sincerely

JAMES D ALEXANDER III, Spc4, USSF
Alternate FOIA Manager
30th SCS
867 Washington Ave
Vandenberg SFB CA 93437-6120