The Black Vault

Recently I filed FOIA requests, to nearly all major USAF bases throughout the USA and Europe. Further to this I filed requests to USNORTHCOM, USCENTCOM, USSOUTHCOM, USAFRICOM,USEUCOM, and USPACOM.

In some cases you get a general response, asking to you go else where like the National Archives and the usual mentioning of Project Blue Book. Yet it is remarkable how they interpret my requests, and the way some try even avoid trying conducting a search, unless pressed.

I quoted in some of my requests the following for unidentifed aerial devices:

"Air Force Instruction 10-206 dated 6 September 2011, entitled "Operational Reporting" for example “3.2.12. BEELINE (OPREP-3B). Used to report any event or incident that meets Air Force-level interest, but does not meet national or international level interest requirements. Although the report normally remains within USAF channels, BEELINE information is made available to agencies outside the USAF (NMCC, State Department, etc.) through asynchronous reporting.”, and “3.2.1. PINNACLE (OPREP-3P). This report is used by any unit to provide the National Military Command Center (NMCC) and, as appropriate, combatant commands and services with immediate notification of any incident or event where national or international level interest is indicated. OPREP-3P reports are not restricted to operational information. Any inadvertent, accidental, unauthorized, or unexpected event or incident will be upgraded from an AF OPREP-3B to an AF OPREP-3P”

The majority of replies have given a "no records" response. There has been only one reply that acknowledged the existence of some OPREP 3 and SITREPS which are not UFO related, further some have pointed the finger at NORAD for records or this subject matter of "unidentified aerial devices or objects". Not all of my requests are complete at the moment so I will update this article once it has been completed.

It is very odd that with all the sightings across the US and the world not one report is found throughout many of the airbases, it makes me wonder as to the nature of the effort of the "thorough search", whether this varies according to the air base or individuals conducting the search. There is also a possibility that the subject matter is highly compartmented that only a few are aware of the existence of such reports, and hidden away from view. I was informed that USAF HQ would be the OPR for such reports by one response, so we shall see in time whether this is the case.

I have a strong feeling that unless you have exact reference to specific documents, you will not get very far in find records pertaining to any unknown aerial devices or objects. I have to evoke the AFI, which some AF bases do not use since it isn't mandatory, in order to avoid the general response.

I have also file requests to some AF bases using this:

"Records pertaining to unidentified aerial devices or objects, or like terms within the preview of your command, and or other commands, to be reviewed for release and all previously released documents pertaining to this subject. Also I request operational procedures for reporting such events of usual or unidentified events and or objects or like terms." Also variations of this. I try to avoid the term UFO since this can automatically close the door due to the perceptions people have of the term UFO. Yet I get the impression that some do equate a different between UFOS and unknown aerial devices. (I did also in some, use this phase: "Unidentified aerial devices or objects could be unidentified drones, unidentified phenomena etc, it equates to nothing more that unknown quantities, not the media or public perception of what a unknown or unidentified aerial device or object is. I am interested in how the USAF deals the unknown quantities."). This was/is also used to avoid the standard response, and automatically closing the door.

Yet it seems that with all this effort none of the major air bases, are willing to admit to having any reports, or not having any located at the specific airbase. I am sure there is a suitable reporting system for such unknown events, but I can safely assume it would be classified, and not admitable unless you have the "exact" title and proof that it actually exists even then, they may not acknowledge the existence of such a reporting procedure.

In general though I believe some reports, if I manage to find the exact title of the files can be released if it is of a certain level of intelligence and classification. I would say it may be as the USAF once stated many years ago a "needle in a haystack".

i wrote an email to the white house abot UFO info, and did get a reply, thay refered be to nasa.
i sent many emails to nasa not 1 reply. the normal run around!

thunder

I received a reply from USNORTHCOM, I ask for "unidentified aerial devices or objects" also "the records I seek may be referred to as TOI (Tracks of Interest), Unknowns, Unknown Tracks, or suspect tracks.." and referenced "CJCSM 3150.05D January 31 2011" and referred to "B-3 Enclosure B....c. OPREP-3, Event and Incident Report. Military units at any level of command use OPREP-3 to report significant events and incidents to the highest levels of command. Reference a provides specific guidance for preparing and submitting an OPREP-3 report.". I further gave reference to "USNORTHCOM PUBLICATION 3-20....C1.0 General Use the Initial Entry Report (25JAN11) to provide an initial status of the situation to USNORTHCOM. Submit within 2 hours of reaching destination. Depending upon content, this report may be classified. Appropriate handling requirements must be followed. Refer to the USNORTHCOM Initial Entry CONEX for any updates to this format.
The following report formats are outlined in the USNORTHCOM Initial Entry CONEX within the listed appendices below:
Appendix 1: USNORTHCOM Initial Entry Report
Appendix 2: USNORTHCOM Joint Personnel Status and Casualty Report (JPERSTAT)
Appendix 3: USNORTHCOM NSAT Situation Report (SITREP)
Appendix 4: USNORTHCOM After Action Report (AAR)
Appendix 5: USNORTHCOM Periodic Information Summary
Appendix 6: USNORTHCOM NSAT Operation Report (OPREP)
Appendix 7: USNORTHCOM Environmental Condition Report (ECR)
Appendix 8: USNORTHCOM Media Contact Report
Appendix 9: USNORTHCOM Intelligence Information Report (IIR)"

And there response? Well this is it...."We estimate that in order to process your request that 16 hours of search and review time and duplication costs are required for approx $631. The
breakdown of this fee is 14 hours of search time at the professional rate of $44.00 per hour and 100 pages of document duplication at $0.15 per page.

In order to provide a better estimation of fees, a detailed listing of records sought is required. Once you provide a detailed listing of records sought and confirm your willingness to pay all assessable fees, a letter of acknowledgement of your request will be sent. If no response regarding fees is received by 20 Feb 13 we will consider your case closed and will take no further action."

I seems I have to identify internal documents which would be classified within USNORTHCOM to a specific degree and pay outlandish fees, I did ask for a wavier..."the information will be available on a public website, freely available. This in turn shows the American tax pay, how the DOD (hence the USNORTHCOM) deals with issues related to the defense of the nation in its operational responsibilities, and how it deals with "unknown" quantities, which may or may not pose a defense threat to the United States. In view of 9/11 I believe this is of interest to the DOD and the America people on how quickly USNORTHCOM responds to such events and reports, and how it analyzes such reports, and how it response in its goal in defending the homeland. Thus I request a wavier of fees in the public, and USNORTHCOM (and DOD) is in all interests." Yet this did not seem to be excepted. I will say their reading room (FOIA) has no records in it so it seems USNORTHCOM does not want to give any information to the American tax payers regarding its activities.