I am PISSED!

J

Just Dad

5-Year Member
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Sep 14, 2015
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534
------- I just deleted a few paragraphs of venting------

DD has been working hard toward a coveted service selection spot for a line qualified mid doing the "thing she most wants to do for the USN for the next 20". She has been killing it----really!

But a TS Clr is getting in her way, and she just got screwed out of an internship she wants/needs, and the USN wants her to do(as DD describes the letter received from her CoC), because there has been no action on her application.

I absolutely understand that the clearance process is about as transparent as the USNA appointment process, but I do have this experience. 20+ years ago working for an aerospace company, I applied for a TS. It was denied within 4 weeks. Two weeks later, at the request of my employer, I was interviewed, the TS was granted a few weeks after that.

My DDs app is around 9 months old with no action taken and it just got in her way big time.

I'm not looking to discuss S and TS clearances in any depth on a message board, but I am wondering is this kind of delay is common for DoD personnel?

I know that this is DD's problem to resolve, but I am starting to wonder if there is a locked door between her and her goal that can't be unlocked and will never be explained.

She says Marines would be her 2nd choice.
 
I hold a TS clearance. I filed my 5 year reinvestigation paperwork 2 years ago, and it was just finalized this past May. So it took about 18 months to go through. My coworker filed his paperwork about a month after I did, and his has not been finalized. Unfortunately, a TS clearance right now takes a long time; there is a hefty backlog of clearances to get through. I'm very sorry your DD is caught up in this mess.
 
So sorry to hear this.

Clearances are prioritized, and they cost money. I suspect a clearance for a midshipman doing a few weeks of a voluntary summer internship (I’m assuming that’s what we are talking about here) is hanging out st the end of a queue, along with all other mids and cadets from SAs and ROTC hoping to do a special internship.

I hope the folks who coordinate the internships are working the traplines to find her an alternative. Everyone who counts will know why she didn’t get to go (if that is what transpires). If she continues to kick butt and looks for every other opportunity to gain that extra exposure, she will get support for the desired warfare community selection.
 
My son was sent to CENTCOM Forward for a year doing security-type work which required a TS. He did his year and has been at 1st MARDIV going on two years. The clearance has yet to come in. I asked him if he was going to ask about it and he said, "Ask who?"

I don't know who to ask but a Marine captain traveling through out the Middle East still hasn't gotten his after three years. Baffling.
 
Thanks for your responses; I really appreciate them. My experience with security clearances is dated and involved a large contracter with a major defense program.

When I pulled the "venting" from my post I should have changed the thread title to "I Am Worried". You folks have made for a better evening here in Sea Wa

Thank you
 
My son said it took just over a year for his TS to be completed, he made a couple inquires along the way and said he wasn't sure if that sped things up at all. His TS was for AS Army SOF Civil Affairs and was completed during his Qualification Course. I agree with others that there is a backlog and cadets/mids are probably not a top priority. I hope things go well for your daughter.
 
This is actually a common issue now as the Army grows its cyber and intelligence capabilities. Average wait times for TS clearances are 12-18 months depending on the workload. Add to that caveats if you need special accesses or you have foreign relations (first generation/marriage to a foreign national) and we are seeing that on the enlisted side we can burn quite of a bit their commitment waiting on the clearance.

On the flip side, I have seen several cases where people with the right vetting and accesses still make terrible decisions and intentionally or not spill information which they have access to. It confirms that these things need to have a high bar and after the cases with Snowden and Reality Winner the scrutiny is not going to be lowered anytime soon.
 
There are a lot of layers to the TS process. One piece not conveyed here is - Are you assigned to a Program? Is that program prioritized and does it have funds for the TS let alone a TS/SCI clearance? My own experiences have been as fast as 6 months and less while other times it has taken 12+ months. If you are new to the process and just starting out it is on the long time side. Don't fret. Eventually it will get squared away.
 
The background investigation process has numerous moving parts. The time delay for the Marine working CENTCOM was probably delayed because they were not available for their Subject interview and/or the Service did not report the Marine was overseas versus the location listed on their security clearance application (SCA, also called SF 86 and eQip). Another common issue is leaving for a new duty location shortly after submitting the SCA. List enough details to find you in the employment comments section if you have an upcoming long term training, deployment, or PCS. This will help the investigators find you.

The SCA is very important to help speed up the clearance process because the work is assigned by the NBIB computer system. Garbage in means work being assigned to the wrong location or activities being covered needlessly. This is not the only choke point by any means but this is one speed bump the Subject controls.

Here are some helpful tips for any Academy junior/senior completing the SCA:

1) Start collecting the information for the SCA today. It is easier to update the information when the time comes to fill out the form than to scramble around looking for information.

2) Read each question for each section separately. Usually the residence/education/employment sections require ALL activities back to your 18th birthday, two years, or ten years, depending on your age the day you certify your SCA. Everything else is required for the time periods listed for each question on the SCA. Ever means ever, even a minor in possession of alcohol at age 15 or being arrested for trespassing at age 12.

3) List your actual residences, not your parents/home of record. We need your actual residence (dormitory) to include specific building and location to complete coverage requirements. Listing the wrong address means we waste time interviewing the wrong neighbors - and identifying that you lied on the form (misinformation is reported as an honesty issue). Also, list your dorm mates and their best contact information as the verifier.

4) Your status while at the Academy is student/unemployed. Listing the Academy as a military employment triggers additional work that is not required. List a fellow Academy student as the unemployment verifier - not your family members.

5) The three people who know you well (the character references) need to be peers that collectively cover your last seven years. Please don't list your parent's friends or those you think will be impressive. This wastes time because after we interview one or more of your listed references, we have to find people that actually fulfill the requirement. Two Academy buddies and a high school friend are best sources.

6) Answer every question - the instructions are very specific about this. None is acceptable if that is the proper response.

7) Provide correct contact information for yourself and anyone listed on the SCA. Miltary units/addresses are acceptable as it is easier for me to find the USS Cowpers than the generic base street address.

8) There are a lot of internet sites that have forums for clearances where you can get specific information or questions answered.
 
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