Security Clearence of Secret?

Question

OK, my job requires a Secret Security Clearence. They made me fill out a sheet at MEPS and whatnot(this was back in September) Is that all that's required for it? I was told that when you get to your unit they ask you all kinds of questions and whatnot. What kind of questions will they ask? My MOS is 25c Radio operator/Maintainer.

Answer 1

you cant join the mos unless you have the clearance for it so most likely if you got the job then you also got the clearance i also have to have a clearance for my MOS but i dont remember ever being asked questions about it when i got to my unit. i would imagine any questions that needed to be answered would be taken care of before you get the MOS.

Answer 2

A lot will have to do with how you have managed this debt. If it is something that has been there but you have not done anything about it for the past year or two until now it will not be viewed as you being irresponsible in the way you manage your affairs. Such people usually will not be responsible in other ways so they make poor candidates for jobs that require security clearances. If this is recent then yes, by all means, be proactive and set up a payment plan. People do sometimes amass debt and as long as you are managing it and being honest and responsible about it then that shows in your favor. As for what can happen about being denied a clearance they can put you in a low risk job. The Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard are the strictest as far as the DoD and DISA requirement that every military member be eligible for a secret clearance. That came out in 1996 and so the Air Force processes everyone, and the Navy was going to that in 2001 and the Marine Corps in 2003. The Army has not as of this date since every clearance investigation involves money being paid for it by the service requesting it. The Army has been skirting this issue and having its members do the paperwork but holding it unless they are assigned a job and position that requires it. An interim clearnce is then issued sometimes but that has requirements to it also and the person's package works through the system and an investigation gets done. I have seen the cost of an investiagtion for a secret clearance run as high as $8,000-11,000 but most run around $1200-$3,000. Sometimes the military will forgo spending the money, if it looks like you can not get a clearance, at the local level which is the base security manager. They then give you options on some other jobs but this is getting harder since there is the poorly worded requirement 1996 and all the services are trying to comply with it, some more than others. Irrguardless set up a payment plan, keep your fingers crossed and you may be alright. I will add that bad debt in the military is a big "No-no" so if you don't handle it resposibly they will be all over your butt once you are in. I have seen a person lose a top secret clearance for not paying alimoney and downgraded to a job that required less clearance so they can be tough about bad debt.

Answer 3

Normally you will simply complete the questionnaire. Your S2 should be able to track it and let you know if the clearance was approved.



If you check out OK then your clearance can be conditional until the interview portion is complete. That can take months and years in some cases.



So long as you didn't mark that you visited behind the Iron Curtain (for the older vets) or the Middle East recently, you should be good to go. Most of the questions they ask are general in nature. Ever smoked dope, got any gambling debt, got any judgments against you, ever been in jail, etc etc.



Be on time, Be squared away, Do as your told. And, don't sweat it. No news is likely good news.

Answer 4

ok here is what happens while you are at basic an investigator will come talk to you before you graduate and you will receive your clearance soon after that. If you can not get clearance, you will have to change your mos to a job that does not require a clearance. If for some odd reason you dont receive clearance after basic you go through this thick packet well int on the computer now and it asks you questions that go back to 5-7 years and you save it and print it and you get a copy for you to keep and then you will definitely receive your clearance.

Answer 5

For a Secret Level clearance they will not interview your family and friends but they will interview you. They will ask about where you have lived, travell outside of the US, jobs you have had, criminal record, drug and alchol abuse, and kind of debt you may have. Dont lie to them, they will find out and you will not get a security clearance. If you do have an arrest record or you used to live in syria or somewhere just be honest about it and you will still get a clearance.

Answer 6

Nope that's about it unless you end up needing an upgrade to Top Secret. Or if you need to get certain Compartmentalized acronyms.



But for 25C, i think Secret is all that's needed, might have to add NATO or CRYPTO, but either of those can be done right with a basic Secret Clearance.

Answer 7

well my mos was imagery analyst. they have the fbi do a background check on you just to find out if you are telling the truth about everything. but the questions usually are things like have you ever had any contracts with a foreign country, any jail time, any association with certain groups. etc.

but then again that was for top secret not secret.

Answer 8

It's pretty routine, especially in the field you will be working with secure communications equipment.

After filling out the form, they will typically send someone to verify with your references that you are trustworthy, not a commie, not a notorious criminal or gand member, etc...



A common technique is that they will ask your reference for other people who knew you in order to burrow down for info. Obviously, if you put your favorite football coach as a reference , he'll vouch for you. But they ask the football coach who else knew you; like the Center. then they ask the center who knew you; like a stoner in art class. The point is they'll find the person who knew if you got busted for shoplifting or broke windows for kicks but didn't get caught. The form you flled out gave plenty of opportunity to confess to the typical teenage stuff (smoke pot, misdemeanors, etc...).



Most people who join the Army are not Straight A choirboys; if you are honest with them they treat you fine....

Answer 9

They don't do a whole lot for secret. You'll have no more questions.