The Department of Defense has released a collection of internal emails in response to a FOIA request filed by The Black Vault. The request sought all communications to or from Pentagon spokesperson Susan Gough containing the keywords “GIMBAL,” “GIMBLE,” (commonly misspelled hence the variation) “FLIR1,” or “GO FAST.” The records span discussions involving government officials, journalists, researchers, and private citizens, offering insight into how the Pentagon coordinated responses and navigated public interest in these Navy UAP videos.
The documents include media inquiries, internal talking points, and external commentary ranging from scientific debate to allegations of misinformation. The release is partially redacted in parts under FOIA exemptions (b)(5) and (b)(6), protecting internal deliberations and personal privacy respectively. Much of the internal decision-making, legal advice, and individual identities have been withheld as a result.
The full records are now available below.
UPDATE: A couple hours after publishing these documents, I went through some old files, and realized I forgot to mention something. On April 29, 2021, an appeal was filed by The Black Vault challenging the Department of Defense’s initial response to FOIA case 20-F-1095. The original release, totaling only 12 pages, appeared to suggest that the only responsive material was a private email list to which Pentagon spokesperson Susan Gough had been added. In the appeal, it was argued that this could not represent all responsive records, given Gough’s role as the primary contact for UAP-related inquiries within OSD and the April 27, 2020, DoD press release that addressed the specific keywords sought.
I also realized – those original records released were a lot less redacted, revealing the private list and many of the names on it.
Note: Be mindful that in some cases, not all emails originate from DoD or government personnel. Susan Gough was added to a private email list, so make sure you watch what information is being sent and forwarded before making too many assumptions on who the author is.
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This post was published on June 18, 2025 10:44 pm
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