The US executive order, signed in December 2009, that governs the classification, safeguarding and declassification of national security information. Its section 1.4 lists the categories under which information may be classified.
The redaction codes seen throughout the PURSUE releases cite this order directly. A “1.4(a)” marking refers to the category covering military plans, operations and capabilities; codes such as “(b)(6)” and “(b)(3)” are separate Freedom of Information Act exemptions, protecting personal privacy and statutorily withheld information. Reading these codes shows that the redactions in the USCENTCOM files mostly hide operational detail and personnel identities, not the UAP observations themselves.
Related declassification mechanics seen across the briefings include Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR), the process by which a specific record can be requested for review, and the “tearline”, the point in a document below which sanitised, lower-classification information can be shared more widely.
Connections
PURSUE · Department of War · USCENTCOM · AARO