Security Clearance questions

[schokie]

That was extremely careless, but I wouldn't worry. I don't think the FBI will care. 

[Fuzz]

34 minutes ago, gearpig said:

I accidentally took a SIPR computer to Starbucks and surfed Russian porn sites.

Later that night, while I was at the pub, someone broke into my car and stole it.

Should I worry?

New security clearance questions:

"Have you sent more than 8 emails with TS material using your Gmail account?"

"No"

"Congrats, here is your TS/SCI"

[SurelySerious]

It just requires a one time meeting with the AG to clear things up, so as long as you've got that scheduled, NBD.

[F16Deuce]

FBI Director: we're not filing charges, but we're very disappointed with you.  We're going to write your name on the chalk board and put a check mark next to it! 

[LookieRookie]

5 hours ago, Fuzz said:

New security clearance questions:

"Have you sent more than 8 emails with TS material using your Gmail account?"

"No"

"Congrats, here is your TS/SCI"

The limit on Gmail TS emails will be higher since it would be more secure than a private server.

[M2]

Why am I not surprised at the resurrection of this thread because of the FBI decision on Hillary?

But these recent comments would probably be more appropriate in the 'WTF?' thread...

[trons513]

Question for the security pros of Baseops:

I recently commissioned, and got a job with a contractor until I go on active duty and go to UPT (on inactive status until next year). I have a completed and adjudicated TS background investigation, but my clearance is "inactive"(correct term?) since, according to the AF, I don't have a need to use it and haven't been given the proper security training. Activating my clearance (at least the Secret part, that's all I need) would open up a lot of doors for me at this job in the meantime, but the guys here are super worried that taking control of my clearance and activating it would raise lots of red flags and problems for me down the road. Can't say I blame them.

Has anyone been through this process before and can shed light on how to proceed? Is there anyone in particular I/the company should contact about this, or am I SOL? I already tried discussing with my ROTC Detachment personnel (who still have all my paperwork), but they are pretty in the dark about the DoD security clearance apparatus. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Toro]

Question for the security pros of Baseops:

I have a completed and adjudicated TS background investigation, but my clearance is "inactive"(correct term?) since, according to the AF, I don't have a need to use it and haven't been given the proper security training..

I've never heard of a situation like this (or an "inactive" clearance), but I can tell you that your clearance has nothing to do with training. It's strictly a background check. If he doesn't respond, you may want to PM M2 and see if he has words.

[matmacwc]

1 hour ago, Toro said:

I've never heard of a situation like this (or an "inactive" clearance), but I can tell you that your clearance has nothing to do with training. It's strictly a background check. If he doesn't respond, you may want to PM M2 and see if he has words.

What if he wants a backseat F-15E ride?

[Ram]

So meta.

[Toro]

What if he wants a backseat F-15E ride?

Oh, he's definitely f***ed.

[pawnman]

On 7/14/2016 at 3:37 PM, 172 wannabe said:

Question for the security pros of Baseops:

I recently commissioned, and got a job with a contractor until I go on active duty and go to UPT (on inactive status until next year). I have a completed and adjudicated TS background investigation, but my clearance is "inactive"(correct term?) since, according to the AF, I don't have a need to use it and haven't been given the proper security training. Activating my clearance (at least the Secret part, that's all I need) would open up a lot of doors for me at this job in the meantime, but the guys here are super worried that taking control of my clearance and activating it would raise lots of red flags and problems for me down the road. Can't say I blame them.

Has anyone been through this process before and can shed light on how to proceed? Is there anyone in particular I/the company should contact about this, or am I SOL? I already tried discussing with my ROTC Detachment personnel (who still have all my paperwork), but they are pretty in the dark about the DoD security clearance apparatus. Any help is greatly appreciated.

The background check should determine that you are "eligible".  Once you are eligible, then you have to have a need to know to gain access to whatever classified you're working with.  It shouldn't be "inactive"...you just aren't currently "read in" to whatever program you need.  

[M2]

On 7/14/2016 at 3:37 PM, 172 wannabe said:

Question for the security pros of Baseops:

I recently commissioned, and got a job with a contractor until I go on active duty and go to UPT (on inactive status until next year). I have a completed and adjudicated TS background investigation, but my clearance is "inactive"(correct term?) since, according to the AF, I don't have a need to use it and haven't been given the proper security training. Activating my clearance (at least the Secret part, that's all I need) would open up a lot of doors for me at this job in the meantime, but the guys here are super worried that taking control of my clearance and activating it would raise lots of red flags and problems for me down the road. Can't say I blame them.

Has anyone been through this process before and can shed light on how to proceed? Is there anyone in particular I/the company should contact about this, or am I SOL? I already tried discussing with my ROTC Detachment personnel (who still have all my paperwork), but they are pretty in the dark about the DoD security clearance apparatus. Any help is greatly appreciated.

I am a bit confused, why would your company not want to process your clearance?  It should not have any affect on your clearance once you get on active duty. 

You are correct in that while you have completed your TS background investigation, you technically don't have a clearance until you are in a position that requires one.  However, you are eligible for one that your current company would submit you for.  Once that is done, you'll "read in" for the clearances you need and once approved, you should be G2G.

Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss offline.  Don't bother with your ROTC det as they simply help you complete the necessary paperwork.  Your company security officer or SSO would be your best point of contact.

Cheers!  M2

[M2]

This outlines the process pretty well...and it's pretty much the same for civilians as it is for active duty...

https://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/security-clearance-jobs/official-security-clearance-guidelines.html

[precontact]

Anyone else heard that they eliminated the TS requirement for tanker pilots?

[GDAL]

Thread bump.

Anyone with recent guard experience shed light on security clearance? Is TS required before you get to UPT? Before you commission?

[brabus]

No. But you'll need to get the investigation done at some point as TS will likely come up at some point in the near term once you are at your ops squadron...depending on aircraft/mission of course. 

[GDAL]

26 minutes ago, brabus said:

No. But you'll need to get the investigation done at some point as TS will likely come up at some point in the near term once you are at your ops squadron...depending on aircraft/mission of course. 

As of right now, the squadron only requires a secret (C-130). But some of the tribal knowledge seemed to indicate a TS would be received initially anyway.

[disgruntledemployee]

Then Secret is all you need.  If you are ever assigned into a billet or deployment role that requires one (say WIC or a lengthy trip to the Deid AOC), then you'd start the process.  However, they do take time, but the fall back for that is an interim TS that can be granted, if you're worthy. 

Out

[brabus]

Very possible you get TS initially and they let it lapse after 5 years. Regardless, the lack of it won't stop you from UPT or I imagine RTU either (based on only a secret required at the ops unit)  

[HiFlyer]

It seems to me that there is a problem with the understanding the definition of the terms here.  To get a clearance, you first have to have a completed security investigation. Certain types of investigations are necessary for different levels of clearances, and the type of investigation is determined by the anticipated clearance level of the projected duty .  For instance a NACLE will allow up to Secret, while an SSBI will allow up to TS and above (i.e. SCI accesses).  The investigation type is determined by the sponsor depending on level needed for your anticipated future job.  A completed investigation does not give you a clearance, only the eligibility (assuming adjudication is favorable)  After the investigation, the report is sent to an adjudication authority, who evaluates the report and decides if the results warrant giving you a clearance (i.e., decides whether or not you are a security risk or not). If the adjudication is positive, you become eligible for a clearance.  Eligible doesn't mean you have a clearance, only that you are allowed to get one if needed. For rated officer entry selects, an SSBI investigation is normally done, although in today's backlogged system, for OTS people it is sometimes not completed prior to graduating.  For ROTC it depends on timing but the investigation should be complete by graduation and commissioning.  But, you still don't have a clearance, only the eligibility for one.  Somewhere down the road you arrive at your first duty station.  There, you will be placed in a specific position on the unit's manning document, and each position has a clearance level associated with it. For a UPT student, the positions are coded for a Secret clearance (or used to be) so upon arrival you will be given a Secret clearance. The fact that your SSBI investigation makes you eligible for TS does not matter if the manpower position only requires a Secret clearance.  By the way, an IP coming in from another unit where he/she held a TS, will be downgraded to a Secret in most cases because an IP has no need for TS clearance in an IP slot (unless he/she will also be doing some addition duty for the Wing that has a higher clearance requirement, which is probably fairly uncommon).  That may be different for CSO or ABM training if their syllabus works with more classified content. For the rest of your career, your clearance may go back and forth as you move from job to job, even within the same unit on occasion..

As for the "inactive" comment, if you move to a job where no clearance is needed (get out of the service, for instance, or leave ROTC (commission, but do not go directly onto active duty) your clearance would be suspended (inactive), but can be regained quickly when you return to active duty as long as you are within the period of your investigation's validity (i.e., if the SSBI requires a re-investigation every five years, and you've been off active duty/ROTC training status for only a year, the original SSBI would still be valid and allow for your unit to re-establish a clearance when you process in...no additional investigation required.

 

[GDAL]

Here's another question... I know the investigators are going to look at your credit history. What if you have a credit freeze on all three bureaus? I imagine that will throw up a huge red flag if an investigator can't access your credit. Am I expected to unfreeze my credit for the entirety of the SSBI? After hearing about the Equifax breach, I'm wary... 

[ThreeHoler]

36 minutes ago, GDAL said:

Here's another question... I know the investigators are going to look at your credit history. What if you have a credit freeze on all three bureaus? I imagine that will throw up a huge red flag if an investigator can't access your credit. Am I expected to unfreeze my credit for the entirety of the SSBI? After hearing about the Equifax breach, I'm wary... 

A credit freeze won’t stop their inquiry.

[mb1685]

Here's a piggyback question related to the credit check. I realize this is so specific that probably no one can answer, but maybe it's worth a shot.

Since the investigation pipeline is so backed up right now and investigators may not review background check information for many months after the SF86 is submitted, is it plausible that another credit check could be conducted if something isn't to the investigators' liking and a significant period of time has passed since the initial one?

I submitted my SF86 in April, and from what I hear, the investigation process can take a year or more. My main concern is my credit history. I had some delinquencies in the past but they've all been resolved for 4+ years now (all were paid in full and none went to outside collection agencies). However, my overall amount of credit card and personal loan debt is pretty damn high (having an unplanned child was the main culprit). Luckily I've procured a significantly higher paying job recently and I should be able to pay off a very big chunk of that debt before I get to OTS next April. I've heard that some people end up doing interviews with investigators and some don't, so I assume it depends on if there are any specific factors that concern them. If they end up interviewing me a few months down the road because of financial concerns, could I have any luck requesting that they pull another credit report so that I can show proof that I've made huge progress on my debt since the first credit check? Or is the system probably too bogged down for them to bother with the extra work?

Edited September 23, 2017 by mb1685

[ThreeHoler]

They don’t give a shit about your credit score. They care if you are a bribery risk.