Re: Obtaining a US Govt Security Clearance

["Paul D. Robertson" <paul () compuwar net>]

On Mon, 3 May 2004, N Hawkins wrote:

> All,
>
> How do you go about obtaining a security clearance if you have no
> affiliation with the government or military?
[It's been a while since I dealt with any of this, so this is at least how
it used to be...]

For DoD, you must have a sponsoring agency.  The quickest way is probably
to join the military ;)  I'm not sure how DoJ or DoE does their process.

Back when I was in the Army, my initial clearance was just filling out
a bunch of forms and waiting for the process, my MOS only required a
Secret clearance, it was linked to being able to do the job I enlisted for.

When I was assigned to the White House, the process was much more
substantial and took significantly longer.  When I left the military, I
didn't move to a job where a clearance was necessary, and let mine expire.
Today, I'd have to go through the entire process all over again, assuming
a job with an agency willing to sponsor it, or with a contractor who's
got sponsorship.

Typically, contractors with billets will take qualified candidates on-board
during the process if no qualified applicants with clearances already
exist.  Continued employment is normally contingent on acquiring the
clearance, and maintaining it.

I'm not sure how DHS is dealing with access and interested parties-
probably it's contingent on the position of the folks and what they need
to know to do their jobs, intersected with their clearability.

I think investigation comes out of the budget of the sponsor, and a number
of years ago, DoD went through a "Why do we have people who have
clearances but don't *need* them" purge- which is why you keep seeing all
those jobs that require them...

HTH,

Paul
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul D. Robertson      "My statements in this message are personal opinions
paul () compuwar net       which may have no basis whatsoever in fact."
probertson () trusecure com Director of Risk Assessment TruSecure Corporation
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