The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), enacted in 1966, generally provides that any person has the right to request access to federal agency records or information. Federal agencies are required to disclose records upon receiving a written request for them, except for those records that are protected from disclosure by any of the nine exemptions or three exclusions of the FOIA. This right of access is enforceable in court.
Implementation of the Freedom of Information Act at DoD
Open and Transparent Government expands upon the principles of full disclosure of information from the government to its citizens, established in the Freedom of Information Act, to further provide a culture in which agencies are responsible for reporting their plans, successes and failures to the citizens they serve. The Department of Defense (DoD) is committed to the Open Government initiative and FOIA is at the core of government transparency at the DoD.
Under the authority of the DoD Chief FOIA Officer, Ms. Lisa W. Hershman, Chief Management Officer (CMO), Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Oversight & Compliance Directorate, Defense Privacy, Civil Liberties, Transparency Division is responsible for the formulation and implementation of Freedom of Information Act Policy for the Department of Defense.