Office of the State Judge Advocate

Mission

Provide timely and quality legal support to the Adjutant General and his staff as well as subordinate commands, and the Soldiers of the Military Department of Georgia, their dependents, and all others eligible for legal support.

Points of Contact
Colonel Brian S. Bischoff, State Judge Advocate
1000 Halsey Ave, Bld 447
Suite W2145
Marietta, GA 30060
(678) 569-5644

Ms. LaToya Westbrooks, Office Administrator
1000 Halsey Ave, Bld 447
Suite W2145
Marietta, GA 30060
(678) 569-6012

Major Robert Brown, Judge Advocate
1000 Halsey Ave, Bld 447
Suite W2145
Marietta, GA 30060
(678) 569-5644

Privacy Act Request

You may seek records that concern your personal privacy or that of another person.
1. All privacy requests must be in writing (letter, email, or web form).
2. Label your request "Privacy Act".
3. Provide full name, contact information to include mailing address, e-mail address, and phone number.
3. Provide your fee category and indicate your willingness to pay applicable fees for processing. You may include a dollar amount you are willing to pay up to, or you may leave the amount you are willing to pay open-ended.
4. Describe the specific records you are requesting in sufficient detail so that we can locate the information requested in a reasonable amount of effort and time. Specify whether these documents ae related to you or if you are authorized to request another individual’s records under the Privacy Act.

Georgia National Guard Military Records Request
Prior Georgia Army National Guard members who are discharged, retired, or deceased may request their records by completing SF-180 and send the form to the below email or mailing address.

ng.ga.gaarng.list.ngga-g1-epb-archives@army.mil
1000 Halsey Ave.
Bldg. 447
Attention: G-1 Records
Marietta, GA 30060
Tel: 678-569-5385

Prior Service Military Records Request
Prior Active Duty Service Members who are discharged, retired, or deceased may request records online from the National Archives.
https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records

National Guard Inspector General Records
If you are making a request for National Guard Inspector General Records, please make your request directly to the respective service or DoD IG.

Air National Guard (AF IG) - https://www.compliance.af.mil/Resources/FOIA/
Army National Guard (Army IG) - https://www.daig.pentagon.mil/foia.aspx
National Guard Bureau (DoD IG) - https://www.dodig.mil/FOIA/Submit-FOIA/

Georgia Open Records Request
The Georgia Open Records Act, § 50-18-70, gives the public the right to see, inspect, and copy all “public records. Public records include documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, computer based or generated information, data, data fields, or similar material prepared and maintained or received by an agency. The time expenditure cost will be calculated by using the hourly salary of the lowest paid employee qualified to conduct the research of an open records request, with no charge for the first quarter hour of employee time expended. Each copy will be 10 cents per page. Other fees may apply for different types of media and formats, mailing costs, certified copies, or other reasonable administrative costs. In some instances, the requestor’s agreement to pay costs or prepayment of costs may be required prior to the agency’s search, retrieval, review or production of the requested records. All open records requests will be processed within three (3) business days of receipt of request. If the records exist, but are not immediately available, the Open Records Officer’s response will include a description of the records and a timetable for their release.

All open records request must be sent to the Open Records Officer. The request must include your name, mailing address, phone number, email address and a description of the requested records. You may send your request to the contact information below.

Mail:
Georgia Army National Guard
Office of the State Judge Advocate
ATTN: Open Records Officer
1000 Halsey Ave, Bldg 447
Marietta, GA 30060

Email:
ng.ga.gaarng.mbx.foia@army.mil

Who can submit a FOIA request?
Members of the public, including foreign citizens, military and civilian personnel acting as private citizens, organizations and businesses, and individual members of the Congress for themselves or constituents, may request records in writing. It is important to remember that the FOIA applies only to federal agencies. It does not create a right of access to records held by Congress, the courts, state or local government agencies, or by private businesses or individuals.
How to submit a FOIA request?
1. All FOIA requests must be in writing (letter, email, or web form).
2. Label your request "Freedom of Information Act Request".
3. Provide full name, contact information to include mailing address, e-mail address, and phone number.
4. Provide your fee category and indicate your willingness to pay applicable fees for processing. You may include a dollar amount you are willing to pay up to, or you may leave the amount you are willing to pay open-ended.
5. Describe the specific records you are requesting in sufficient detail so that we can locate the information requested in a reasonable amount of effort and time.
Fee Categories
FOIA allows fee charges based on the requestor’s category. FOIA requires that requesters be placed into one of the below categories:
1. Commercial - Requesters who seek information for a use or purpose that furthers their commercial, trade, or profit interest are considered commercial requesters. Commercial requesters pay all fees for search, review and duplication.
2. Educational - Institutions of education, including preschools, elementary or secondary schools and institutions of higher learning, qualify as educational institutions. The records must be sought in furtherance of scholarly research. Educational requesters pay only duplication fees, unless it is determined that fees are waived or reduced in the public interest. The first 100 pages are provided at no cost. (Note: Students are not considered Educational Use requesters).
3. News Media - A representative of the news media is a person actively gathering news for an entity organized and operated to publish or broadcast news to the public. News media pay only duplication fees, unless it is determined that fees are waived or reduced in the public interest. The first 100 pages are provided at no cost.
4. Other - Requesters who do not qualify in another category are considered "other" requesters, and normally make requests for agency records for their personal use. "Other" requesters receive two hours search, all review costs, and the first 100 pages, at no cost.

FOIA Web Pages
NGB:
https://www.nationalguard.mil/Resources/FOIA/

Army https://www.hrc.army.mil/content/Freedom%20of%20Information%20and%20Privacy%20Act%20Requests

OPM
https://www.opm.gov/information-management/freedom-of-information-act/
Resources
AR 25-55, The Department of the Army Freedom of Information Act Program
AR 340-21, The Army Privacy Act Program
DoD 5400.7-R, DoD Freedom of Information Act Program
DoD Directive 5400-11, Privacy Act Program
DoD FOIA Handbook

If you are seeking Air National Guard records, please make your request through the Air Force Public Access Link. (https://www.compliance.af.mil/Resources/FOIA/)

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), enacted in 1966, generally provides that any person has the right to request access to federal agency records or information. Federal agencies are required to disclose records upon receiving a written request for them, except for those records that are protected from disclosure by any of the nine exemptions or three exclusions of the FOIA.

Contact
To make a request or check the status of a request
Mail:
Georgia Army National Guard
Office of the State Judge Advocate
ATTN: FOIA
1000 Halsey Ave, Bldg 447
Marietta, GA 30060
Phone: 678-569-6012
Email: ng.ga.gaarng.mbx.foia@army.mil

(Note: Veterans do not have to use FOIA for their own records.)