I was looking into a job in military intelligence and noticed that most of the positions (human intelligence, counterintelligence, etc) require Top Secret clearance. What is involved in obtaining this? I don’t think I have anything in my past that should raise any red flags (I’m rather dull, sadly), but for what would they be looking?
The Standard Form 86, Questionnaire for National Security Positions, is one part of the process. If you’d like to see what’s on the form, you can find it on the web.
Here’s a site that has them: http://www.opm.gov/forms/html/sf.asp
I won’t comment on what else is involved as I’m not that familiar with it, or how it varies from one agency to the next.
… I should add, from the form itself:
I had a Top Secret clearance for a while many years ago. First you fill out a long, long application in which you list, among other things, every place you lived for the past fifteen or twenty years, every job you ever had, and then give references. They’ll ask for fingerprints. Depending on your particular situation, they may ask for other information. They wanted copies of my parents’ naturalization papers, for example.
Then the process starts. They interview EVERYONE they can find who had contact with you. My parents and some of my friends were interviewed, for example.
If they find the slightest discrepancy or oddity, they schedule an interview with you (with a court reporter!) to go over the issues. In my case I forgot to mention that when I was in college I had a part time job as a campus tour guide. Somehow they had tracked that down.
As you can imagine, this is not a quick process. If you’re really lucky, you can get your clearance in six months. In my case it took over a year.
Ed
It’s highly variable, and up to the agency involved.
In one case of a clearance I was involved in (the agency was DISCO), my supervisor had minor drug charges and a conviction on his record (marijuana bust) many years ago when he was a a member of a biker gang.
He provided full disclosure ont his, and added his conversion to Christianity and he provided references from ministers and friends to support his refuting of this way of life. He also provided info on how he was now a responsible member of the community.
I don’t claim to know the process, but he was given a TS clearance by DISCO.
IMHP, as he should have been. I’ve never known a more stand-up person, and one who would go to the mat for those of us under his authority. We all respected him a great deal, so I think this was a good decision…I just can not comment on the whys and wherefors that were involved in his being granted the clearance.
I’d say, given this, just be honest and do not worry about it. I would add, though, that you might want to warn neighbors/relatives/friends that they MIGHT be getting a visit by gub’mint officials and not to worry, you’re not under investigation for heinous and devious crimes…even if your sister is a Thespian!
I meant IMHO, bolded above, dang it! :wally
I prefer to take the low road and concoct an elaborate series of fantastic personal histories held together by a bare minimum of reality, then coach my friends and relations to coroborate my tales.
Sometimes lifestyle can be a problem, if it something that would make you vulnerable to blackmail by someone else, such as alcoholism, a drug habit, closeted homosexuality, chronic adultery, etc.
Not fair, but neither is the world. It’s round.
I beg to differ! The Earth is square.
BTW in general you cannot just apply for a clearance because you decide you want one. At one time you had to be assigned to a program that requires it. Defense contractors would keep a string of non-classified programs going to pipeline people while they waited for their clearance for a classified program. I think that the demand is so outstripping the supply now that it might be sufficient to be working for a defense contractor who has or has the potential to have classified programs. I worked for a major defense contractor until July and received a glossy brochure at home from them encouraging employees to apply for high level clearances, even if you weren’t an immediate candidate for a classified program.
Many hiring companies require an active clearance for positions, because they don’t have enough of those pipeline jobs to park you in. As a private citizen you can’t just ask to get cleared. So there’s a Catch-22 here. You have to be cleared before you can get the job but you have to have the job before you can get cleared. This creates an environment where all the contractors are trying to steal one another’s cleared people.
From what I’ve heard, they now put more emphasis on financial responsibility. They run credit checks and they can turn you down for a clearance if you have a history of not being able to manage money. It’s probably a recognition that espionage for greed has become more common than espionage for ideology.
Actually, you can. But you better be aware that it is hugely expensive. And very involved; but you can do so.
You don’t apply for and get any security clearance willy nilly. Your job has to be such that the clearance is required and your employer will make the arrangements. Before anyone is hired for such work their background is thoroughly investigated as to eligibility for the required clearance and only those who pass are considered for the job.
Generally your life has to be pretty much an open book with no secrets that might pose a security risk if someone found out and held it over you; such things as a drinking or drug problem, clandestine mistress, obsessive gambling and stuff like that. Those are just off the top of my head and I’m sure the investigative agencies have other triggers.
A security clearance is not granted lightly. What is it that you want to know that requires a Top Secret Clearance anyway?
First you have to have a job or job offer requiring a ‘clearance’ and the hiring agency will request same. The clearance is for use only on a need to know basis for the job activities. You and your past will be thoroughly scrutinized. The investigators are looking for anything that would indicate a potential for misuse of classified information. The higher the clearance the more extensive the investingation!
That is a very very bad idea. Such would be equivalent to lying and get you scratched off the list and possibly blacklisted.
If you manage to get through the initial screening, expect to have your post read back to you by the prospective hiring officials. 
So, how is this done and how much does it cost?
In other words, cite, please.
Just recently, 2 weeks ago, I had to do an update to my top secret security clearence. As far as I know…and I cant find a cite just yet, it costs the Navy 40,000 dollars to complete this. I was required to divulge every address Ive lived at for the past ten years! Luckily I had a copy of my credit report which tracks this. Along with this info you have to list friends, relatives, and aquantances with addresses as well. Ive been told they take your list of five friends and question them for anyone else you may know that you did not list. I can talk to my security manager if you need specific questions answered…but if I tell you Ill have to…ahhh nevermind.
I know hearsay stuff is frowned upon here, but I was told this years ago by the FSO (Facility Security Officer) where I worked. He didn’t quote me any figures on the cost except to say it was the same a company would pay, and that it was a lot of money every year, not counting the cost of the initial investigation.
I have no idea on what the actual procedure would be, but I had/have no reason to doubt the guy.
Of course, he could have plain been wrong, certainly.
Ravenman is looking for the actual procedure for “what phone number do I call to say that I want to apply for a TS clearance as an individual without my employer doing it.” You mention that you did an update, but you did not say whether you are currently on a cleared assignment, whether your employer did this for you, who you contacted, etc.