OSD 6.30.23

To Whom It May Concern:

You are receiving this correspondence as a request under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. subsection 552. I am requesting the following:

All records from the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) on the Unconventionally-acquired Brain Injury (UBI) OSD Working Group. This investigatory body is identified in a brochure for an October 2020 virtual conference titled Women Empowered to Engage, published by the Career Communications Group. One of the speakers at this event, Ms. Stephanie Miller, Chief of the Bioeffects Division, Air Force Research Laboratory, is listed as the co-chair of the UBI OSD Working Group, confirming the existence of such a body. I am attaching a copy of the brochure but for clarity's sake, I am reproducing the link here as well (please see Ms. Miller's biography on page 2): https://issuu.com/rjkennedy/docs/woc20_empowered_1

This request includes, but is not limited to:

- Correspondence, i.e., email, physical letters, faxed communications, etc.

- Memorandums

- Catalogs

- Briefing cards

- Audio/visual materials

- Preliminary and Final Assessments/Reports

- Consensus, Position, and White Papers

I am asking you waive any fees associated with this request. I am a member of the news media and request classification as such. My bylines, which include Creem Magazine, Covert Action Magazine, and Philly Voice, can be found in both print and electronic publications. Please take note of the Office of Management and Budget guidelines published March 27, 1987 (52 FR 10012) that include electronic publications and other nontraditional publishers as representatives of the news media.

A fee waiver is appropriate in situations where "disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations and activities of the government, and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester,” 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(iii). This request would contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations and activities of government with regard to its research into the physical effects of directed energy attacks, as currently there is a concern among the members of the media and the public about so-called anomalous health incidents, aka unconventionally-acquired brain injuries, aka Havana Syndrome.

Anomalous health incidents are events occurring between 2016 and the present day that have resulted in a condition, or a series of related conditions, afflicting intelligence agents and diplomats working for the governments of the United States and Canada. In 2016, the Associated Press reported on a number of such incidents that happened in Cuba that led to the United States pulling staff from its embassy in that country. Since that time, anomalous health incidents have continued to generate media attention in major new outlets, with stories focusing on the national security implications appearing in the New York Times and The New Yorker, among many other publications. Speculation presently focuses on the use of directed energy weapons, or ranged weapons that attack a target with electromagnetic radiation like ultra-high frequency radio waves, as one possible cause for anomalous health incidents.

As of 2023, there have been at least 200 reported anomalous health incidents, with many of the victims stating they were subject to attacks by directed energy weapons. Given that most of these individuals have been identified as high-ranking officials across multiple federal agencies, any programs or investigatory bodies convened to investigate anomalous health incidents and/or the effects of directed energy on humans would be the subject of considerable public interest. This is especially important in light of the fact that both Congress and the President approved compensation in the range of $140,000 or $187,000 per person to individuals diagnosed as suffering from anomalous health incidents, under the HAVANA Act of 2021.

In the event that there are fees, I am willing to pay up to $100. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

This request is not being made for commercial purposes. All documents will be provided to the general public without charge.

I look forward to your response within 20 working days, as the statute requires. If access to the records I am requesting will take longer, please contact me with information about when I might expect copies or the ability to inspect the requested records.

If you deny any or all of this request, please cite each specific exemption you feel justifies the refusal to release the information and notify me of the appeal procedures available to me under the law.

Sincerely,

Robert Skvarla, Jr.

Dear Mr. Miller:

I am writing in reference to FOIA request 23-F-1062.

On June 30, 2023, I sent request 23-F-1062, attached, on behalf of Muckrock News, for information on the Unconventionally-acquired Brain Injury Working Group.

On July 5, 2023, I received an interim response that stated the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) would need time beyond the traditional 20 working days to comply with this request. The interim response letter did not offer an estimated date of completion.

As eight months have now passed, I am writing for an update on the status of request 23-F-1062: if it is still in processing, would you be able to offer an ETA on fulfillment?

Thank you in advance for your assistance. I appreciate the work OSD is doing in reviewing and releasing all relevant documents.

Sincerely,
Robert Skvarla, Jr.