Responses lacking

Back in December 2024, I used the BIRLS database request tool launched by Reclaim the Records to submit FOIA requests for a full copy of the veteran's claim file on my grandfather Leo Reid, Allison's grandfather James Havens, as well as a couple of other requests on deceased veterans in the family. Responses to two of these have now arrived in the mail. 

I had given up hope of any response, as the Department of Veterans Affairs has been impacted by significant staff reductions and cuts. I really thought these would be ignored. The responses were prepared by the Evidence Intake Center in Janesville, Wisconsin. I am not going to post the responses and I am still in the process of figuring out how, if at all, to respond.

It seems the VA is withholding the information in the C-File related to the veterans' military service and interactions with the VA, as it has deemed the information to be either confidential or "detrimental to the memory of the Veteran and/or prejudicial to the interests of the Veteran's survivors and the Government."

It's a bit frustrating as I have received copies of service record information in the past, but perhaps that request had been submitted differently so that it yielded the right information in return.

I know a few things about Leo's time in the Air Force during WWII from his original flight logs, but I was hoping the C-File would contain some other information about his service.

In the meantime I've reached out to the team at Reclaim the Records to see if they've run across this issue, and if they have any suggestions. Update - From their website (as of August 2025), it seems they've also encountered this and are exploring options.

The responses were generated by the VA on 31 July and 4 August 2025, so I have 90 days from those dates to submit appeals.