The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a federal statute that provides that any person has a right to request access to federal agency records. FOIA also establishes a presumption that records in the possession of agencies and departments of the Executive Branch of the U. S. Government are accessible to the people, except to the extent the records are protected from disclosure by any of nine exemptions contained in the law or by one of three special law enforcement record exclusions.
Individuals wishing to file a request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) should address their request in writing to the FOIA Office, American Battle Monuments Commission, 2300 Clarendon Boulevard, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22201, or to FOIA@ abmc.gov, or via https://www.foia.gov.
The American Battle Monuments Commission makes available information pertaining to Commission matters within the scope of 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(2), including records that have been requested three or more times, by publishing them electronically at the ABMC home page at https://www.abmc.gov/foia. Additional information may be found on the National FOIA Portal at https://www.foia.gov. Note: The ABMC.gov site provides all the information the Commission has regarding burials at its cemeteries. ABMC does not have service records, casualty lists, or information on burials within the United States.
When submitting a FOIA request to the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), please be aware of the following:
- Requesters must provide contact information, such as their phone number, email address, and/or mailing address, to assist ABMC in communicating with them and providing released records.
- Requests must provide a “reasonable description” of the records being sought.
- Requests must specify the preferred form or format (including electronic formats) for the records being sought. ABMC will accommodate the request if the record is readily reproducible in that form or format.
- ABMC has twenty working days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays) to provide an initial response.
- Agencies and requesters are encouraged to work together to define the scope of the request and the timing of the response.
- Agencies may establish “multi-track” response systems to facilitate the processing of simpler requests, rather than putting all requests in a single “queue.”
- Whether sent by mail, email, or through FOIA@abmc.gov, your request will not be considered to have been officially “received” by ABMC until it reaches the agency’s FOIA Office.
The ABMC regulation implementing the Freedom of Information Act is set forth at 36 CFR, Part 404, and may be accessed by clicking on the “FOIA Regulations” link below:
FOIA Reference Guide
FOIA Regulations
FOIA Reports
FOIA Plan
FOIA Reading Room
If you have any questions, please contact:
FOIA Requestor Service Center:
Lisa Crunk 703-584-1569
FOIA Public Liaison Office:
Jennifer Li 703-584-1530