Opinion ID: 755736
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Air Force Referral Process

Text: 33 Beyond challenging the Air Force's handling of his specific amendment requests, Major Gowan quarrels with the Air Force's amendment process itself. Before about 1990, the Air Force Privacy Act program automatically referred requests for amendment of subjective or opinion matters to the AFBCMR. Major Gowan complains that the AFBCMR did not allow the attachment of statements of disagreement or judicial review. Consequently, he seeks injunctive relief to ensure that the Air Force complies with the provisions of the Privacy Act. 34 The Privacy Act clearly grants individuals the right to seek agency review of a denial of a request to amend, to file a statement of disagreement, and to seek judicial review of the agency's determination. See 5 U.S.C. §§ 552a(d)(3), (g)(1)(A). Therefore, any Air Force policy that provides to the contrary would be invalid under the Act. However, Major Gowan's Privacy Act complaints have been resolved through this judicial action, and the Air Force eliminated its nonconforming policy in about 1990. Although Major Gowan asserts that he may in the future want to seek amendment of Air Force records and that the Air Force may again wrongfully deny his Privacy Act right to seek amendment or the filing of a statement of disagreement, an assertion of such a contingent interest is insufficient to confer standing. See Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife, 504 U.S. 555, 563-64, 112 S.Ct. 2130, 119 L.Ed.2d 351 (1992). As a result, we decline to hear his challenge to the AFBCMR referral process. 35 Finally, Major Gowan alleges that the Air Force failed to comply with the Privacy Act when it did not inform him of his right to seek judicial review of its denial of his requests to amend. See 5 U.S.C. § 552a(d)(3) (requiring the agency to notify the individual of the provisions for judicial review under 5 U.S.C. § 552a(g)(1)(A)). To redress violations of § 552a(d)(3), a plaintiff may secure injunctive relief and, if he has substantially prevailed, recover attorney's fees and costs. See 5 U.S.C. §§ 552a(g)(1)(A), (g)(2). Given that Major Gowan was obviously aware of his right to seek judicial review, however, we find it unnecessary to award him injunctive relief, and we determine that he should not be awarded attorney's fees under 5 U.S.C. § 552a(g)(2)(B).