The document reveals that on September 29, 1957, a significant nuclear accident occurred in the Chelyabinsk region, part of the Ural Mountains. This event, often referred to as the “Kyshtym disaster”, involved an explosion at a nuclear waste storage facility near the town of Kyshtym. The facility was part of the Mayak Production Association, a major Soviet nuclear complex involved in producing plutonium for weapons.

According to various intelligence reports cited in the document, the explosion resulted from the overheating of buried nuclear waste. The containment measures failed, leading to a release of highly radioactive materials into the environment. This incident caused widespread contamination, affecting a large area and exposing thousands of people to dangerous levels of radiation.

The NRC document includes excerpts from several declassified CIA reports. One such report from May 1958 details that “various Soviet employees and visitors to the Brussels Fair have stated, independently but consistently, that the occurrence of an accidental atomic explosion during the spring of 1958 was widely known throughout the USSR”​​. The explosion site was identified as being in the Chelyabinskaya Oblast, and while the exact number of casualties remains uncertain, it was commonly believed that several scores of individuals perished in the incident​​.

Further intelligence describes the aftermath of the explosion, with extensive radioactive contamination rendering a significant area uninhabitable. Eyewitness accounts from the time recount that “all stores in Tomensk-Uralskiy which sold milk, meat, and other foodstuffs were closed as a precaution against radiation exposure”​. New food supplies were brought in under strict controls, and the population was subjected to measures reminiscent of wartime shortages.

The NRC document also references the account of Zhores Medvedev, a Soviet biochemist and geneticist who defected to the West. Medvedev reported that the Soviet authorities had kept the disaster under wraps, not evacuating affected populations until symptoms of radiation sickness became apparent. This delay in response exacerbated the health impacts, leading to numerous deaths and chronic illnesses among the exposed population​.

Additionally, the NRC document includes details from a Soviet film, classified at the time, which showed the construction of a new city in the Ural Mountains specifically for testing a 20-megaton nuclear device. The test’s objectives included assessing the resilience of civilian infrastructure, such as a subway system, to a nuclear blast. The film depicted the obliteration of the city, with only the subway surviving, highlighting the devastating power of the explosion and its impact on both military equipment and animal life used as test subjects​​.

Despite the magnitude of the disaster, Soviet officials consistently denied any knowledge of such incidents during interactions with U.S. delegations. For instance, during meetings in the USSR, Soviet officials, including L. M. Voronin, claimed ignorance about the accident and insisted that their agencies were only involved in peaceful nuclear activities​.

The secrecy and disinformation surrounding the Kyshtym disaster are indicative of the broader context of Cold War-era nuclear accidents, where both superpowers often concealed the true extent of their nuclear mishaps to maintain strategic and political advantages. The release of these documents provides a rare glimpse into the hidden history of nuclear risks and the human cost of the nuclear arms race.

###

Document Archive

FOIA Case NRC-2021-000112 Release Package [33 Pages, 4MB]

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The post Declassified NRC Document Sheds Light on Kyshtym Nuclear Explosion first appeared on The Black Vault.

Origins and Release

The Family Jewels documents were originally compiled in response to a 1973 request by then-CIA Director James Schlesinger, who wanted to know if there were any agency operations that might be considered illegal or improper. This internal investigation was prompted by the Watergate scandal and increasing public scrutiny of government agencies. The resulting reports were intended to be kept confidential, but they eventually became part of the public record due to the persistent efforts of journalists and researchers, along with Freedom of Information Act requests.

In 2007, under pressure from a lawsuit filed by the National Security Archive, the CIA finally declassified and released the Family Jewels. The release was significant, not only because it shed light on past abuses but also because it marked a rare instance of transparency for an agency known for its secrecy.

Assassination Plots

One of the most shocking revelations in the Family Jewels was the CIA’s involvement in plots to assassinate foreign leaders. The documents detail various attempts to eliminate Cuban leader Fidel Castro, including collaboration with the Mafia to poison him and plans to use exotic devices like exploding cigars. In one instance, the CIA even considered using a contaminated diving suit to kill Castro.

The agency’s involvement in assassination plots was not limited to Cuba. The documents also reveal efforts to target leaders in the Congo, the Dominican Republic, and other countries. These revelations raised significant ethical and legal questions about the extent to which the United States was willing to go to influence foreign governments and political outcomes.

Illegal Surveillance

The Family Jewels also uncovered extensive illegal surveillance operations conducted by the CIA within the United States. Despite its mandate to operate only outside U.S. borders, the agency engaged in domestic spying activities, including the monitoring of American journalists, political activists, and dissidents. Operation CHAOS, one of the programs detailed in the documents, aimed to uncover foreign influences on domestic protest movements during the 1960s and early 1970s. However, it quickly expanded to include broad surveillance of American citizens, violating their constitutional rights.

Human Experimentation

Perhaps the most disturbing revelations in the Family Jewels are related to the CIA’s human experimentation programs. The documents detail Project MK-Ultra, a clandestine program focused on mind control and behavioral modification. Under this program, the CIA conducted experiments on unknowing subjects, including administering LSD and other drugs, subjecting individuals to sensory deprivation, and using psychological manipulation techniques. These experiments were often conducted without the informed consent of the participants, leading to severe psychological and physical harm in many cases.

One of the most infamous incidents involved the death of Frank Olson, a CIA scientist who was secretly dosed with LSD and later fell to his death from a hotel window under suspicious circumstances. The Family Jewels documents shed light on the agency’s attempts to cover up the true nature of Olson’s death and the broader unethical practices of the MK-Ultra program.

Quotes and Reactions

The release of the Family Jewels prompted a wide range of reactions from government officials, historians, and the public. Then-CIA Director Michael Hayden stated, “The documents provide a view of a very different era and a very different agency,” acknowledging the mistakes of the past while emphasizing the CIA’s efforts to operate within legal and ethical boundaries in the present day.

Senator Edward Kennedy, who had been a vocal critic of the CIA’s practices, remarked, “The release of these documents underscores the necessity of vigilant oversight of our intelligence agencies to ensure they do not overstep their bounds.” The documents’ release also fueled calls for greater transparency and accountability in the intelligence community.

Legacy and Impact

The Family Jewels documents have had a lasting impact on the public’s perception of the CIA and its operations. They serve as a reminder of the potential for abuse of power within secretive government agencies and the importance of checks and balances to prevent such abuses. The revelations prompted legislative reforms, including the establishment of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which were designed to provide oversight and accountability for the CIA and other intelligence agencies.

In the years since their release, the Family Jewels have become a crucial resource for historians, journalists, and researchers seeking to understand the complexities and ethical challenges of intelligence work. They provide a sobering account of the lengths to which the CIA went during the Cold War to achieve its objectives, often at the expense of legal and moral considerations.

Document Archive

Download the entire “Family Jewels” collection [702 Pages, 21.4MB]

Mandatory Declassification Review Request on First 11 Pages of “Family Jewels” collection [12 Pages, 3.5MB] – On March 22, 2018, I requested a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) on the first 11 pages of the Family Jewels document. I requested only the first 11 pages, due to the fact that the first item listen in the breakdown of projects and incidents outlined in the document, is entirely withheld. If anything in the first 11 pages would be unredacted and released, it would pave the way to request a full MDR of the document. However, they continue to deny the information, as of September 2019, when the CIA released the responsive records. The redactions were the same.

The post The “Family Jewels” Collection (CIA) first appeared on The Black Vault.

The image above is a fictional representation of the Army’s holdings.

Below, you can download the Excel Spreadsheet files of about 500,000 items in the Army’s historical artifacts collection.

Document Archive

File names are as released by the U.S. Army:

The post Center for Military History, Department of the Army, Historical Artifacts Database first appeared on The Black Vault.

This is a collection of photographs, as released via the Freedom of Information Act, by the American Battle Monuments Commission.

Below, you will find 4 .zip files containing all of the 870 photos released. They were broken up for easier downloading. These are housed at Internet Archive for historical preservation, as well.

.Zip Downloads

Camera 1

.zip File #1 [2.4GB]

.zip File #2 [2.1GB]

Camera 2

.zip File #1 [888MB]

The post President Donald Trump Photos – Suresnes Veterans Day Photos (11/11/2018) first appeared on The Black Vault.

In May 2019, The Black Vault filed a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) case to get it reviewed and further released. It took until June of 2022 for the case to be completed, and as a result, numerous redactions were lifted and new information was revealed.

The document is available below.

Document Archive

Office of Logistics History, 1 July 1952 – 31 December 1956 [66 Pages, 12MB]

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The post Office of Logistics History, 1 July 1952 – 31 December 1956 first appeared on The Black Vault.

More than two years later, sadly, no redactions were lifted, and it was released in the same state it was previously. That release is archived below.

Document Archive

NATO Intelligence-A Contradiction in Terms, 1984 [16 Pages, 8MB]

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The post NATO Intelligence-A Contradiction in Terms, 1984 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Although previously released, The Black Vault filed a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) in May of 2019. In May of 2022, the record was re-released with less redactions than previous versions.

Document Archive

 CIA History Program, 30 April 1974 [18 Pages, 5MB]

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The post CIA History Program, 30 April 1974 first appeared on The Black Vault.

On April 27, 2018, The Black Vault filed a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) request to have it reviewed for possible release. On July 20, 2021, the NRO released the document, in full.

According to the record:

“This document is a chronological listing of the more important events in the evolution of the management of the National Reconnaissance Program, to include the internal structure of the National Reconnaissance Office as well as changes in the external environment which have affected the management of the program. It is not a complete compilation of every action on all issues, and additional material may be found in the file references and in the Management volume of the History of the NRO prepared by Robert Perry . The purpose of this chronology is to provide an overview and to permit ready recall of pertinent events and their timing.”

Document Archive

“NRO Charter and Management Evolution” (Chronology of Events), Author Unknown, undated. Circa February 1989 [17 Pages, 9MB]

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The post “NRO Charter and Management Evolution” (Chronology of Events), Author Unknown, February 1989 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Air Force Histories

Continental Air Command Histories

NORAD / CORAD Histories

 (U) 1955 CONAD History Jan – Jun Vol IX.pdf
 (U) 1955 CONAD History Jul – Dec Vol X.pdf
 (U) 1955 CONAD History Jan-Jun Vol VII.pdf
 (U) 1955 CONAD History Jan-Jun Vol IX.pdf
 (U) 1955 CONAD History Jul-Dec Vol X.pdf
 (U) 1955 CONAD History Jul-Dec Vol XI.pdf
 (U) 1956 CONAD-ADC History Jan-Jun Vol VII.pdf
 (U) 1957 ADC History Jan – Jun.pdf
 (U) 1957 ADC History Jan – Jun Vol III.pdf
 (U) 1956 CONAD History Jul 56 – Jun 57.pdf
 (U) 1956-1957 CONAD History Jul 56 – Jun 57 Vol I.pdf
 (U) 1956-1957 CONAD History Jul 56 – Jun 57 Vol II.pdf
 (U) 1956-1957 CONAD History Jul 56 – Jun 57 Vol III.pdf
 (U) 1957 CONAD-NORAD History Jul-Dec.pdf
 (U) 1957 CONAD-NORAD History Jul-Dec Vol II.pdf
 (U) 1957 CONAD-NORAD History Jul-Dec Vol III.pdf
 (U) 1957 CONAD-NORAD History Jul-Dec Vol IV.pdf
 (U) 1956-1957 NORAD CONAD History.pdf
 (U) 1957 NORAD CONAD History Jul-Dec.pdf
 (U) 1958 NORAD CONAD History Jan-Jun.pdf
 (U) 1958 NORAD CONAD History Jul-Dec.pdf
 (U) 1959 NORAD CONAD History Jan-Jun.pdf
 (U) 1959 NORAD CONAD History Jul-Dec.pdf
 (U) 1960 NORAD CONAD History Jan-Jun.pdf
 (U) 1960 NORAD CONAD History Jul-Dec.pdf
 (U) 1961 NORAD CONAD History Jan-Jun.pdf
 (U) 1962 NORAD CONAD History Jan-Jun.pdf
 (U) 1962 NORAD CONAD History Jul-Dec.pdf
 (U) 1963 NORAD CONAD History Jan-Jun.pdf
 (U) 1963 NORAD CONAD History Jul-Dec.pdf
 (U) 1964 NORAD CONAD History Jul-Dec.pdf
 (U) 1965 NORAD CONAD History Jan-Jun.pdf
 (U) 1965 NORAD CONAD History Jul-Dec.pdf
 (U) 1966 NORAD-CONAD History.pdf
 1967 – 1972 NORAD CONAD History [1,375 Pages, 328MB] – These records were donated to The Black Vault by FOIA researcher Cory Newman, and are used here with permission. Special thanks to Mr. Newman for his research and allowing The Black Vault to share it!

1940s

 Class Rosters of Various Air Force Schools – Including Roswell Field, 1942 – 1945 [1,617 Pages, 473MB]

 United States Strategic Air Forces In Europe History, Chapter 2, Jan 1942 through January 1945 [95 Pages, 13.9MB]

History of the 22nd Bombardment Group – May 1944 [68 Pages, 24.7MB]

History of the 25th Bombardment Group Aug Sep 1944 [80 Pages, 34MB]

History of the 5th Air Disarmament Group (Provisional) 1944 [96 Pages, 15MB]

History of the 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 29 August 1944 – April 1945 [93 Pages, 32MB]

The Inception, Organization and Functions of Headquarters, U.S. Strategic Air Forces in Europe, 28 May 1945 [111 Pages, 14.10MB]

 1950s

History of the Air Flight Service Center, March Air Force Base, 1 April 1952 – 30 June 1952 [15 Pages, 3MB]

History of the Directorate of Intelligence June 1 – December 31 1952 [13 Pages, 3MB]

History of the 20th Air Division (Defense), 1 July 1957 – 31 December 1957 [96 Pages, 49MB]

History of the 34th Air Division, 1 July – 31 December 1952, & – 30 January 1953  [254 Pages, 60MB]

History of the 34th Air Division, 31 December – 30 June 1953  [187 Pages, 44.1MB]

History of the 36th Air Base Group, 1 March to 30 April 1951 [102 Pages, 18.58MB]

History of the 36th Air Base Group, 1 May to 30 June 1951 [102 Pages, 16.1MB]

History of the 57th Fighter Interceptor Wing, Elmendorf Air Force Base, May – June 1950 [107 Pages, 30MB]

History of the 456th Troop Carrier Wing, Operations Summary and Analysis, 1954-1956 [326 Pages, 75.8MB]

History of the 1909th Airways and Air Communications Squadron, 1 July 1952 – 30 November 1952 [43 Pages, 13MB]

History of the 2143rd Air Weather Wing, 1 July – 31 December 1952 [144 Pages, 32MB]

History of the 4602nd Air Intelligence Service Squadron, 1 Jan to 30 June 1955 [74 Pages, 3.76MB]

 History of the 4602nd Air Intelligence Service Squadron, 1 July to 31 December 1955 [387 Pages, 103MB]

History of the 4602nd Air Intelligence Service Squadron, 1 January 1956 – 30 June 1956 [29 Pages, 10MB]

History of the 5001st Composite Wing, Ladd Air Force Base, Alaska – 1 January 1957 – 7 April 1957 [409 Pages, 103MB]

1960s

History of the Directorate of Administrative Services, 1 July 1960 – 31 December 1960 [905 Pages, 163MB]

History of the Air Force Flight Test Center, 1 January – 30 June 1961 [170 Pages, 16.84MB] – Only the first 167 pages of this document were obtained. The rest is available for purchase, but I was unable to afford the complete document.

History of the 31st Air Division (ADC) April 1 – June 30, 1967 [21 Pages, 3MB]

 History of the 62nd Military Airlift Wing July 1 – December 31, 1969 [224 Pages, 50.8MB]

History of the 78th Fighter Wing (ADC), 1 October 1964 – 31 December 1964 [322 Pages, 101MB]

History of the 4245th Strategic Wing, 1-31 March 1962 [202 Pages, 34.19MB]

History of the 313th Air Division, July-December 1962 [501 Pages, 61.5MB] – These documents detail the Okinawa Incident, October 28, 1962.

History of the 304th Air Rescue Squadron, 1 January – 30 June 1963 [1,984 Pages, 497MB] – UPON ACTIVATION 68/01/26, BECAME AN ACTIVE OPERATING UNIT IN LIEU OF A RESERVE TRAINING SQUADRON. THE CALL TO ACTIVE DUTY WAS IN RESPONSE TO THE SEIZURE OF THE NAVY INTELLIGENCE SHIP PUEBLO BY NORTH KOREA. PUEBLO CRISIS, RESERVE CALL-UP.

History of the 551st Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing, for the period ending 31 March 1967 [19 Pages, 6MB]

History of the 551st Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing, for the period ending June 1967 [22 Pages, 6MB]

History of the 551st Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing, for the period ending 1966 [106 Pages, 31MB]

History of the 551st Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing, for the period ending 31 December 1965 [115 Pages, 30MB]

History of the 551st Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing, for the period ending 30 June 1961 [23 Pages, 6MB]

Lessons Learned, Headquarters, 52d Combat Aviation Battalion, 22 September 1969 [54 Pages, 3MB]

1970s

Air Force Museum Semi-Annual History, 1 January 1970 – 30 June 1970 [31 Pages, 12.76mb]

History of the 92nd Bombardment Wing and 92nd Combat Support Group, September 1976 [62 Pages, 12.98mb]

1980s

1. History of the 320th Bombardment Wing, October – December 198f1 [266 Pages, 46.82mb]

Oral History Interviews

Oral History Interview with Lt. Col. William Miller [72 Pages, 6.99mb]

Oral History Interview with Maj. Gen. William C. Garland [112 Pages, 15.28mb]

Other Related Documents

Aerial Interdiction: Air Power and the Land Battle in Three American Wars [444 Pages]

An Aerospace Bibliography [340 Pages]

Air Force Bases Vol. I: Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 [651 Pages, 95 megabytes]

Vol. II: Air Bases Outside of the United States of America [241 Pages]

Air Force Combat Medals, Streamers, and Campaigns [358 Pages]

Air Force Combat Wings: Lineage and Honors Histories, 1947-1977 [366 Pages, 33 Megabytes]

The Air Force Integrates, 1945-1964 [366 Pages, 35 Megabytes]

Air Force Officers: Personnel Policy Development, 1944-1974 [503 Pages, 29 Megabytes]

Air Force Roles and Missions: A History [345 Pages, 27 Megabytes] – This history traces the usage of- and meaning given to- the terms “roles and missions” relating to the armed forces and particularly to the United States Air Force from 1903 to the mid-1990s.

Air Interdiction in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam: An Interview with General Earle E. Partridge, General Jacob E. Smart, and General John W. Vogt, Jr. [114 Pages, 9 Megabytes] – Air leaders relate their war experiences in major interdiction campaigns designed to disrupt the flow of men and supplies to enemy armies. As American officers flying in World War II, the interviewees fought in North Africa, the Mediterranean, and Northern France. In Korea and Vietnam, they faced the challenge of limited warfare, in which air power was restrained by national policy.

Air Leadership [168 Pages, 14 Megabytes] – This book contains the published proceedings of a conference on air leadership held at Bolling AFB in 1984.

Air Power and Warfare : the proceedings of the 8th Military History Symposium, United States Air Force Academy, 18-20 October 1978 [475 Pages, 25 Megabytes]

Air Power in Three Wars (World War II, Korea, Vietnam) [372 Pages, 44 Megabytes] – These are the memoirs of General Momyer, whose 35-year military career spanned three conflicts -World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Momyer reflects on his diverse experience, covering the development of tactical air strategy, command and control of air power, air superiority, interdiction, and close air support of ground forces.

Air Superiority in World War II and Korea: An Interview with General James Ferguson, General Robert M. Lee, General William Momyer, and Lt. Gen. Elwood R. Quesada [125 Pages] – The four generals participate in a group oral history on how American air forces achieved air superiority in World War II and Korea. Extensive notes and a bibliography supplement the lively and informative discussion.

Air Warfare and Air Base Defense, 1917-1973 [426 Pages, 8 megabytes]

Airpower Advantage: Planning the Gulf War Air Campaign 1989 – 1991 [497 Pages, 8 megabytes]

The American military and the Far East : proceedings of the Ninth Military History Symposium, United States Air Force Academy, 1-3 October, 1980 [426 Pages, 19 megabytes]

The American military on the frontier : the proceedings of the 7th Military History Symposium, United States Air Force Academy, 30 September-1 October 1976 [206 Pages, 19 megabytes]

Anatomy of a Reform : The Expeditionary Aerospace Force [111 Pages]

Anything, Anywhere, Anytime: Combat Cargo in the Korean War [42 Pages]

Attempts at Codification of Aerial Warfare [7 Pages, 1.23mb]

The 31 Initiatives: A Study in Air Force-Army Cooperation [177 Pages]

From the History of the Creation of Jet Aviation [20 Pages, 3.4mb]

Pathfinder Operations in the Khmer Republic (1973) [92 Pages, 7.22mb]

Shelters for Civilian Personnel, 10 September 1935 [31 Pages, 4.9mb]

United States Air Force History. An Annotated Bibliography [110 Pages, 7.64mb] – Reports of American aircraft events at Fort Myer, Virginia, in 1908 and published extensively in the United States and Europe, marked the beginning of an immense flood of literature about military aviation and aviators, and air deeds in war and peace. This annotated bibliography on U. S. Air Force history is a sampling of that literature, prepared primarily for the student and scholar.

Winged Shield, Winged Sword: A History of the United States Air Force. Volume 1, 1907-1950 [524 Pages, 7.55mb] – Throughout its first century, military aviation helped advance the interests of the United States. From a curiosity, fragile and of uncertain value, the warplane has become a devastating weapon. Moreover, ballistic missiles and surveillance satellites have joined aircraft in this aerial array. In these two volumes, the authors try to describe and analyze, in the context of national policy and international rivalries, the evolution of land-based air power since the United States Army in 1907 established an Aeronautical Division responsible to the Chief Signal Officer. This work, in addition to commemorating the Air Force’s 50th anniversary, also commemorates almost 100 years of progress in the design and use of aerial weaponry. By placing airmen and their machines in an appropriate context, it provides a clearer understanding of the central role of the Air Force in current American defense policy. Volume I, containing the first 12 chapters, begins with balloons and the earliest heavier-than-air machines. It carries the story through World War II to the establishment of the United States Air Force as a service separate from, but equal to, the Army and the Navy. Volume II picks up the narrative at the Korean War, takes it through the War in Southeast Asia, the Gulf War, to the drawdown following the end of the Cold War. Part I: The Early and Interwar Years, 1907-1939, contains The Roots of U.S. Military Aviation, The Air Service in the Great War, From Air Service to Air Corps — The Era of Billy Mitchell, The Coming of the GHQ Air Force, 1925-1935, and The Heyday of the GHQ Air Force, 1935-1939. Part II: World War II, 1939-1945, contains Reaction to the War in Europe, The Army Air Forces in Desperate Battle, 1941-1942, Building Air Power, The Defeat of Italy and Germany, and Victory over Japan. Part III: Building the Air Force, 1945-1950, contains The Quest for Independence and Framing Air Force Missions.

USAF Withdrawal from Southeast Asia, 1 JANUARY 1970 – 30 JUNE 1971 [102 Pages, 13.84MB] – The evaluations in this document represent the efforts of working groups and critique panels of USAF officers who were knowledgeable in the subjects addressed. They were based on reports, letters, messages, etc. written during the course of the war without benefit of a long term perspective.

Video Archive

The post Air Force History Collection first appeared on The Black Vault.

The following files are from FBI File 62-HQ-46855. They deal with book reviews and purchases by the FBI, as they keep a watch on all books published mentioning the Bureau, or related interests.

The first release consisted of more than 4,100 pages of material, and I do still have an open request for additional pages. This archive will be updated when the case is finally processed and additional records are released, if any.

Due to the size of the files, I offer a searchable .pdf and a non-searchable .pdf with different download sizes. Both .pdf’s are identical, with the exception of the “searchable” version being processed, cleaned up and OCR’d for search capability.

Document Archive

 FBI File 62-HQ-46855: Files on Book Reviews & Purchases – FBI Release #1 – [4,154 Pages, 1,033MB / 1.03GB] – SEARCHABLE .PDF – Extremely Large File

 FBI File 62-HQ-46855: Files on Book Reviews & Purchases [4,154 Pages, 322MB] – NON-SEARCHABLE .PDF – Same files as above for a smaller download option.

 FBI File 62-HQ-46855: Files on Book Reviews & Purchases – FBI Release #2 – [187 Pages, 12MB]

The post FBI File 62-HQ-46855: Files on Book Reviews & Purchases first appeared on The Black Vault.

The Investigator was the internal, employees-only publication of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It was produced by FBI employees for many decades.  The first issue, appeared in May 1932, and was mimeographed and two pages in length.  Over the years, the publication included hundreds of fascinating articles about FBI History.

Although a few years of this publication have been released, most years have not yet been requested or released.

The FBI has some 28,000 pages of records associated with The Investigator.

In 1953, the FBI established the Publications Unit of the Crime Records Division.  The Publications Unit produced The Investigator as well as the Law Enforcement Bulletin.  From the 1940s through the early 1970s, the Crime Records Section was led by Milton A. James.

Below, you will find released records from the FBI. Currently, I am in the process of filing for additional records, issues of The Investigator, and compiling additional records that will be added to this section. Make sure you bookmark the page and revisit often for updates.

Declassify the ENTIRE Collection of “THE INVESTIGATOR” newsletters

By letter dated May 18, 2017, there are approximately 50,890 pages of material when I requested ALL issues of “The Investigator.”  In order to obtain them all, it would cost $1,525.00 to receive them on CD-ROMs (102 CDs at $15 each).  Here is the QUOTE letter.

In 2016, I raised about $600 through a GoFund me campaign to get these issues declassified. Although it won’t be ALL years available, it will yield quite a bit. The released files are archived below, and additional files are being reviewed for declassification.

Declassified Documents

 FBI File, HQ-94-3-2, The Investigator – FBI Release #1 July 2016 (searchable) – [1,361 Pages, 1.2GB] – Approximate dates: 1961-1970.

 FBI File, HQ-94-3-2, The Investigator – FBI Release #1 .ZIP FILE – [1,361 Pages, 153MB .ZIP FILE] – The contents of the above .PDF, however, they are in a .zip file, in individual files (but not searchable).

 FBI File, HQ-94-3-2, The Investigator – FBI Release #2 October 2020 (searchable) – [458 Pages, 115MB] – Approximate dates: 2010-2011.

 FBI File, HQ-94-3-2, The Investigator – FBI Release #3 December 2020 (searchable) – [348 Pages, 150MB] – Approximate dates: 2010-2011.

 FBI File, HQ-94-3-2, The Investigator – FBI Releases #2-3 .ZIP FILE – [806 Pages, 115MB .ZIP FILE] – The contents of FBI releases #2-3 are available in this .zip file download.

 FBI File, Partial Release, HQ-94-3-2, The Investigator  [544 Pages, 34.7MB] – This release was given to another requester, which were given to The Black Vault  archived here for reference. – Approximate dates: 1932-1965.

The post FBI Internal Newsletter, “Investigator” first appeared on The Black Vault.

In the beginning of 2016, I requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and printout of documents listed within the NSA’s ADMS system, which catalogs NSA records within their holdings.

I filed two separate requests, seeking titles and citations for all records that bear the dates before 1900 and the second request was identical but for records dated 1900 through 1920.

The NSA responded to both requests in the same response. Below, you will find the archive.

Document Archive

National Security Agency (NSA) ADMS “Document Management System” Printouts for Documents dated 1930  [6 Pages, 2MB]

 National Security Agency (NSA) ADMS “Document Management System” Printouts for Documents dated through 1920 [61 Pages, 21.6MB]

The post National Security Agency (NSA) ADMS “Document Management System” Printouts first appeared on The Black Vault.

The Information and Technology Branch (ITB) is a service within the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The ITB is responsible for all FBI information technology needs and information management. ITB also promotes and facilitates the creation, sharing, and application of FBI knowledge products with the larger law enforcement community in order to improve overall nationwide crime fighting effectiveness.

The following fiscal year review reports are referenced on the FBI’s intranet site, and were requested directly.

Document Archive

FBI – Information and Technology Branch (ITB) Year in Review Reports, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016 [186 Pages, 30MB]

FBI – Information and Technology Branch (ITB) Year in Review Reports, 2013 [48 Pages, 1.6MB]

The post FBI – Information and Technology Branch (ITB) Year in Review Reports first appeared on The Black Vault.

I requested this document back on July 26, 2013. To my surprise, it took until March 21, 2019 to be released, in which I waited nearly 6 years.

The document is undated from what I can tell, but was finally declassified and released in my FOIA Case DF-2013-00163 with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).

Here is a portion of the introduction to this document:

Until relatively recently, the American public knew little about nor understood the role of the U.S. intelligence in formulating U.S. policies both at home and aboard. The “Great Game,” especially during the Cold War, was a secret history that unfolded wholly or in part beyond the view of the general public. Spies and counterintelligence efforts, clandestine operatives. covert operations, proxy armies, massive technical collection efforts, detailed analysis of the intentions and capabilities of potential enemies, the very work of U.S. intelligence agencies. remained hidden from view. Even the basic structure, organization, and missions of the U.S. Intelligence Community were difficult to discern. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War there has been a torrent of new materials on intelligence issues and the Intelligence Community. There are not only new books and articles appearing almost daily. but a flood of newspaper articles, TV shows. movies and videos. There are dictionaries and encyclopedias devoted to intelligence as well as whole journals and college courses. The Department of State’s staid series Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) has published two volumes devoted to the organization of U.S. intelligence and a retro volume on the coup in Guatemala in 1954 (Operation PBSUCCESS) and the role of U.S. intelligence.  

Document Archive

Protecting the Nation – U.S. Intelligence – From George Washington to George W. Bush (Date Unknown) [481 Pages, 116MB]

The post Protecting the Nation – U.S. Intelligence – From George Washington to George W. Bush (Date Unknown) first appeared on The Black Vault.

This historical evaluation of the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) as an R&D management institution was commissioned by ARPA in recognition of the fact that remarkably little in the way of an official recordor institutional memory had been established during its seventeen year lifetime. From Agency Directors to program managers, the turnover in its leadership has been rapid by most bureaucratic standards, thus eroding first hand knowledge of ARPA’s role and activities rather quickly. Conceived as a unique management organization chartered to concentrate on advanced research within the Department of Defense, this very uniqueness has frequently been questioned. Virtually every ARPA Director, and most ARPA personnel at all levels, have encountered friendly and not-so-friendly why ARPA? and what is ARPA? questions throughout its history. This report seeks to explain some of the whys and whats. For the most part, the study ends in 1972 when ARPA was designated a Defense Agency. This date was arbitrarily chosen. In instances where events or programs started in earlier periods extend beyond 1972, they have been pursued a bit further for sake of completeness, but not past 1974.

Document Archive

The Advanced Research Projects Agency, 1958-1974 [634 Pages, 46.6MB]

The post The Advanced Research Projects Agency, 1958-1974 first appeared on The Black Vault.

This administrative investigation was initiated upon receipt of information from [[ REDACTED ]] NASA-OIG, who advised [[ REDACTED ]] in Pittsburgh, PA contacted her regarding a computer with a plate labeled Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) NASA Property and reels of magnetic data tape (reel tapes), several labeled 1969, that were found while an acquaintance was cleaning the residence of a deceased person.

The Investigation

 NASA OIG Investigation: Recovery of Possibly Historical 1969 NASA Data Tapes, December 4, 2015 [61 Pages, 14.8MB]

The post NASA OIG Investigation: Recovery of Possibly Historical 1969 NASA Data Tapes, December 4, 2015 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Document Archive

 Title page and the table of contents, for all INSCOM Annual History volumes from the years 2000 to 2015 [55 Pages, 4.5MB] – My original request was to include through 2015, but only through 2010 were released. After an appeal, I was informed that the annual histories for 2011 – 2015 are “still in production” and therefore can not be released since they do not exist.  Per INSCOM’s letter dated 5 October 2017, there is no estimated completion date.

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/inscom/INSCOM-AnnualHistory-TOC.pdf

The post United States Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) Annual History Reports first appeared on The Black Vault.

Excerpt: 

According to Noah Webster, secret is defined as, “kept from public knowledge or from the knowledge of certain persons•and service is shown to be, employment, especially public employment. This is exactly what the original Secret Service was: an organization of spies which operated during the Civil War at the direction of  the United States Government under the ultimate control of the Honorable Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of State and then Secretary of War.

This use of spies during times of confrontation between factions was not a new idea. In fact the idea may have had divine inspiration, as the Bible, Numbers 13:2 says, “Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying, ‘Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan.” From the time of Moses to Lincoln and to the present day, kings and heads of governments have employed spies, some .well organized and well concealed and some not so well organized and/or controlled.

The original Secret Service appears to have fallen in this “second category for at the conclusion of the Civil War there was concern voiced by members of Congress concerning the role of the Secret Service. General LaFayette Charles Baker was in charge of the War Department Secret Service and was criticized at the  conclusion of the war for lack of control, not reporting to any Bureau, and operating on his own. He responded to his critics by saying that they had no  knowledge of the peculiar and difficult business, (of being a spy and being in charge of an organization of spies). Here again Presidential protection was mentioned in connection with the Secret Service as Baker wrote, ”There was a very ordinary indifference in the mind of Mr. Lincoln in regard to threats of assassination, some of which I communicated to him and on one occasion I carried to Mr. Lincoln two anonymous communications, in which he was threatened with assassination.

It is interesting to note that even though Baker’s Secret Service was not in any way connected with or the forerunner of the Secret Service Division which was to be created in 1865, the man in charge of the Secret Service was concerned with the threats made against a President of the United States.

The Document

 The United States Secret Service:  An Administrative History, 1983 [121 Pages, 60MB]

The post The United States Secret Service:  An Administrative History, 1983 first appeared on The Black Vault.

The primary goal of this program was to design, develop, construct and operate a continuous in-reactor hydrazine production loop using the fissiochemical process. Direct support for the development of the loop and its components included studies in decontamination, purification, fuel cycle, materials, chemical and energy deposition analysis, and reactor physics. Basic radiation and chemistry studies were undertaken to further elucidate reaction mechanisms and to extend the application of this process.

This final report fully describes the Hydrazine Process Development Program including the developmental phase from contract inception (April 1961) through the installation of the completely assembled experimental equipment into the reactor facility (November 1963), the operational phase (through April 1964), and the post-operational inspection and data reduction phase.

Section l of the report summarizes all program activities, results, and conclusions; Sections 2 through 8 discuss development~! details in depth, including the design, construct~on and initial testing of all experimental equipment; Section 9 presents loop operation experimental data, product processing experience, and post-operational equipment inspection observations. All Hydrazine Process Development Program efforts through January 1964, were funded by the U. s. Air Force under Contract AF 33(600)-42996, ASD Project 7-840a. At that time, on the basis of an agreement between the Air Force and the United States Atomic Energy Commission, the latter agency assumed cognizance and funding responsibility for the remainder of the program.

Declassified Documents

CONTINUOUSLY CIRCULATING FISSIOCHEMICAL PROCESS DEVELOPMENT APPLICABLE TO HYDRAZINE SYNTHESIS. VOLUME 1: PROGRAM SURVEY, PROCESSING, AND MATERIALS  [244 Pages, 11.8MB]

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The post CONTINUOUSLY CIRCULATING FISSIOCHEMICAL PROCESS DEVELOPMENT APPLICABLE TO HYDRAZINE SYNTHESIS. VOLUME 1: PROGRAM SURVEY, PROCESSING, AND MATERIALS first appeared on The Black Vault.

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records and with increasing public access to those documents, which comprise the National Archives.  NARA is officially responsible for maintaining and publishing the legally authentic and authoritative copies of acts of Congress, presidential proclamations and executive orders, and federal regulations. The NARA also transmits votes of the Electoral College to Congress. The chief administrator of NARA is the Archivist of the United States.

Below, you will find a list of transferred records from federal agencies to NARA, for the period of November 1, 2016 – February 2017.

Document Archive

For reference, NARA uses Record Groups to identify what agency or type of record it holds. Although too large to paste here, you can find a full breakdown of record groups to reference at: Statistical Summary of Records Holdings of the National Archives of the United States.

 Records Transferred from Federal Agencies to the National Archives & Records Administration (NARA), November 1, 2016 – February 2017 [6 Pages, 0.6MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/nara/NARA-NGC-2017-000296.pdf

The post Records Transferred from Federal Agencies to the National Archives & Records Administration (NARA), November 1, 2016 – February 2017 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Space – A Collection of Articles [109 Pages, 12.1MB]

The following foreign intelligence papers were received from the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) and were housed at the Foreign Technology Division (FTD) of Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB).

It consists of early 1960s intelligence, of papers written by Soviet scientists, in regards to space related questions, such as, interstellar travel, extraterrestrial civilizations and planet atmospheres.

The papers included in this release were:

Interstellar Flights, by K. P. Stanyuk ovich and V. A. Bronshten

Creation of Habitable Medium in Future Space Flights of Man, byA. A. Nichiporovich

Astronautics and Extraterrestrial Civilizations, by V. I. Krasovskiy

Problems of Interstellar Communication, by G. Kokkori and F. Morrisons

Study of Interplanetary Gas and Ionospheres of Planets With the Help of Traps of Charged Particles, by K. I. Gringauz

I received these under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and archive them here for reference.

Declassified Documents

Space – A Collection of Articles [109 Pages, 12.1MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/space/AD0608184.pdf

The post Space – A Collection of Soviet Papers from the Early 1960s first appeared on The Black Vault.

The following is based on the introduction in the document:

The insatiable desire of the Soviet Union for intelligence of an almost unbelievable scope and nature supplies the basis for this monograph. The range of intelligence targets in the United States indicated by the Soviets is, on the one hand, information vital to the security of the United States and, on the other hand, information of perhaps some domestic value to the Soviet Union, but not remotely connected with the actual security of the United States. Between these divergencies we find a large volume of targets that defy absolute classification in these two categories due to the lack of information from the Soviets indicating the specific need to be fulfilled by each target.

This study revealed that known or tentatively identified Soviet Intelligence Service agents operating in the United States were engaged in developing intelligence regarding specific targets, but were also in most instances, to a somewhat lesser degree, collecting information identical in nature and source with individuals or organizations representing the Soviet Union in other capacities.

A review of intelligence target material developed by investigations of the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed that regardless of the means employed to collect intelllgence and regardless of the categorical topics of these targets, there appeared to be two logical classifications for consideration. The first classification, which is discussed generally in Partl, involves the mass collection of intelligence of a wide scope and/or of a general nature. The magnitude of material collected within this first classification suggests that the Soviets collect a broad sampling of our knowledge for possible refinement into specific or primary intelligence targets.

The second logical classification of intelligence targets appears to include those targets that are refined to specific or primary targets, and in this way indicates more specific Soviet Intelligence interests in the United States~ As this phase of the study suggests more of a practical application to security and counterintelligence investigations, the material in this classification will be discussed comprehensively in Part II of this study. It is not the purpose of this monograph to consider operational techniques of Soviet Intelligence as a subject for study, except as they apply to the definition of Soviet Intelligence target.

Soviet Intelligence Targets in the United States, 1946-1953

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From 1947 – 1969, the United States Air Force conducted an “investigation” into the UFO phenomena. It began as Project Sign, Grudge and later became known by its more popular name as Project Blue Book.

After only a few years into the project, the Air Force continually discredited UFO witnesses, cases and told the public most cases were generally explainable as swamp gas, the planet Venus, hoaxes, etc. But one man did not believe the explanations given, and in 1966, began pushing for Congressional hearings on the topic. His name? Gerald Ford.

Although more popularly referred to as the 38th President of the United States, in 1966, he was still a Representative from Michigan’s 5th congressional district, and at the time, the House Minority Leader.

In his own words:

“At week’s end, the Air Force explained away the UFO’s as a product of college-student pranks, swamp gas, the rising crescent moon, and the planet Venus.  But the Air Force has been explaining away UFO’s for years, and I don’t believe the American people generally are satisfied with its statements.

For that reason, I have proposed that there be a congressional investigation of UFO’s.

Let’s try to get to the bottom of this thing. I know some people are alarmed by it.”

Below, you will find many of his statements and press releases, obtained from the Gerald Ford Library, in which Ford pressed the issues and pushed forward for UFO Congressional Hearings.

Documents

The post Gerald Ford Pushes for Congressional UFO Hearings in 1966 first appeared on The Black Vault.

The Martin and Mitchell Defection occurred in September 1960 when two U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) cryptologists, William Hamilton Martin and Bernon F. Mitchell, defected to the Soviet Union. A secret 1963 NSA study said that “Beyond any doubt, no other event has had, or is likely to have in the future, a greater impact on the Agency’s security program.”

Martin and Mitchell met while serving in the U.S. Navy in Japan in the early 1950s and both joined the NSA on the same day in 1957. They defected together to the Soviet Union in 1960, and at a Moscow press conference they revealed and denounced various U.S. policies, especially provocative incursions into the air space of other nations and spying on America’s own allies. Underscoring their apprehension of nuclear war, they said “we would attempt to crawl to the moon if we thought it would lessen the threat of an atomic war.”

Within days, citing a trusted source, Congressman Francis E. Walter, chairman of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), said Martin and Mitchell were “sex deviates”, prompting sensational press coverage. U.S. officials at the National Security Council privately shared their assumption that the two were part of a traitorous homosexual network. Classified NSA investigations, on the other hand, determined the pair had “greatly inflated opinions concerning their intellectual attainments and talents” and had defected to satisfy social aspirations. The House Un-American Activities Committee publicly intimated its interpretation of the relationship between Martin and Mitchell as homosexual and that reading guided the Pentagon’s discussion of the defection for decades.

Below, you will find my research into this defection, and the declassified documents that have been released.

National Security Agency Documents

 NSA Declassified Documents, Released March 2015 [ 103 Pages, 49.5MB ] – The NSA is charging nearly $2,000 to complete their search for records relating to this incident. They used the 2 hours allotted to me for free, and sent me the first 100 pages that they found. This is that release. Any additional searching or releases, I will be required to pay the thousands of dollars.

The post Martin and Mitchell Defection to Soviet Union, September 1960 first appeared on The Black Vault.

However, in this request, I asked the National Security Agency (NSA) for their oldest document on record. Nothing specific – just whatever the oldest document was.  This request was filed in November of 2013. This is what I asked for:

I respectfully request a copy of the oldest document, report, or letter, chronologically, that your agency currently archives.

After some wait, they wanted me to clarify what I was looking for. Not sure what part of the original request was confusing, but, alas, they asked:

 – Are you seeking the oldest NSA record that we currently hold in our Archives?

My answer was simply, “Yes.”

After waiting another 19 months, I finally received the document.

 The Oldest Document the NSA Has On File, according to FOIA Case 75793A

The post Oldest Record on File at the National Security Agency (NSA) first appeared on The Black Vault.