UPDATE: This story was originally published on May 25, 2023. However, on April 3, 2024, this story was updated with a FOIA appeal win, which produced the briefing card, with the relevant redactions lifted. That update appears below the article.
- The Department of Defense released another ‘Briefing Card’ about the AOIMSG, a DoD effort previously studying UFOs.
- This document contains intriguing redactions under exemption (b)(5) and extra information that were absent in previous releases of the same record.
- A question in the ‘Questions and Answers’ section and an entire section under ‘Additional Background Information (Not for release)’ have been redacted, prompting questions about the content and why it’s being withheld in public affairs materials.
- The placement of the “Additional Background Information” section under a question about “extraterrestrials” prompts the questions on whether or not they are related.
The Department of Defense (DoD) has just released another “Briefing Card” pertaining to the establishment of the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group (AOIMSG). The AOIMSG was a DoD entity dedicated to detecting and identifying unidentified objects of interest in special-use airspace. These newly released records were released as part of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) release in case 22-F-0381.
The briefing card, possibly a “draft” version, dated December 9, 2021, carries certain intriguing redactions and extra information that were absent in previous documents released by the DoD, which were chronicled on The Black Vault just weeks ago.
Intriguingly, an entire question in the ‘Questions and Answers’ section is blotted out under exemption (b)(5). This exemption is applied to “inter- and intra- agency memoranda which are deliberative in nature,” according to the denial letter from the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD).
When compared to the previous release by The Black Vault, it appears the redaction was absent, however, it’s unclear if the presumed “draft” version just released holds the same question revealed last time and the redaction was placed in error.
Here is a side-by-side comparison of both releases:
Similarly, an entire section under ‘Additional Background Information (Not for Release)’ is also blanketed with exemption (b)(5), prompting questions about the nature of the redacted content, and its placement within the document itself.
The redactions, and even the entire section about “Additional Background Information” was not included in the May 16, 2023, release to The Black Vault, nor was any information referenced in the denial letter as being entirely withheld.
It should also be noted that the “Additional Background Information” material follows one of the more intriguing sections of the public affairs “briefing card” document; the question about extraterrestrials.
“Has the Department found any evidence of extraterrestrial technology?”, the question reads. The answer set for the public states, “The examinations into incursions by UAPs are still ongoing; we lack sufficient information in our dataset to attribute incidents to specific explanations. It is not the purpose of the AOIMSG to look for evidence of extraterrestrials. Other parts of the government do that; for example, NASA looks for evidence of life on other planets.”
What follows is the information exempted from release under the “Additional Background Information” header, but it is unknown if that information relates to the question about extraterrestrials, or if it entirely unrelated.
The redactions raise eyebrows and quite rightfully so. These are Public Affairs records, and their purpose is to chronicle information meant for the public, not to document information to withhold from the public.
There’s a growing public interest in the potential implications of UAP/UFOs on national security and aviation safety. In the spirit of democratic transparency and the need to build public trust, full disclosure of such information is paramount.
Furthermore, the case for transparency is especially strong given the current climate surrounding UFOs/UAPs. With sightings continuing to be reported by military personnel and the establishment of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) which replaced the AOIMSG, it’s clear that this topic is not fading into the background.
In response to these questionable redactions, an appeal has been filed by The Black Vault. During the course of that case, the DoD will reassess the redactions, consider the immense public interest, and hopefully take a step toward greater transparency on this important subject.
As the saga continues to unfold, it’s crucial that we remember the public’s right to be informed, especially on a topic that has captured the world’s attention. As we seek answers to the questions surrounding UAP/UFOs, it’s clear that the fight for transparency is far from over.
UPDATE: On April 3, 2024, the appeal was finalized and the document was released, with the pertinent redactions lifted. That release is also available below.
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Document Archive
FOIA Case 22-F-0381 Release
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