Anonymous wrote:Btw, I'm also a typical DC 20-something. I have friends who still love getting drunk, going out, and then hooking up with someone or not quite remembering how they got home that night.

Do I have fun with these friends? Yes. Is it typical behavior for a DC 20-something? Yes. Would I bring it up if asked about their alcohol consumption in a clearance investigation? Yes. Would it ding them? Yes.

Do they have a problem with drinking? Yes. Are they showing bad judgement? Yes. Could this be a security risk? Yes.

Btw, I'm also a typical DC 20-something. I have friends who still love getting drunk, going out, and then hooking up with someone or not quite remembering how they got home that night.

Do I have fun with these friends? Yes. Is it typical behavior for a DC 20-something? Yes. Would I bring it up if asked about their alcohol consumption in a clearance investigation? Yes. Would it ding them? Yes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:(1) Guideline A: Allegiance to the United States

(2) Guideline B: Foreign Influence

(3) Guideline C: Foreign Preference

(4) Guideline D: Sexual Behavior

(5) Guideline E: Personal Conduct

(6) Guideline F: Financial Considerations

(7) Guideline G: Alcohol Consumption

(8) Guideline H: Drug Involvement

(9) Guideline I: Psychological Conditions

(10) Guideline J: Criminal Conduct

(11) Guideline K: Handling Protected Information

(12) Guideline L: Outside Activities

(13) Guideline M: Use of Information Technology Systems


http://www.state.gov/m/ds/clearances/60321.htm

And to the PP who says it is easier than passing a piss test at Best Buy- you have no idea what you're talking about. People I know have been denied for drinking on the weekends.

No one cares if you drink. It is a problem if you are weird or squirmish on the poly about drinking, or if the people they interview state that you frequently black out or lose control of your actions while drinking. They don't want people blabbing secrets while drinking on the weekend. It can also be an issue if character witnesses say you tend to get drunk and pick up random women at bars, etc, because pretty women are basically a centuries old tactic for getting secrets out of men.

Unfortunately there are a lot of borderline alcoholics who don't see the severity of their actions and complain about being dinged over something little like "drinking on the weekends."

Glad you are omniscient. Thanks for declaring your superior knowledge. Not pp, but know a few people who were dinged for alcohol and they were not alcoholics. Just typical 20 somethings in DC.

Okay, you are correct!! The process is completely random!! People are DEFINITELY honest about why they are dinged, especially when it is the result of an extremely long and detailed process that digs into every corner of your family and sex life and likely for a job that binds you to confidentiality during the application process. No reason you wouldn't tell your FRIENDS what happened, right?

I "know a few people" too. One was denied and claimed the reason was that the "interviewer was sexist". After talking to a few other friends who were interviewed for her character testimony, turns out almost everyone had mentioned the fact that she frequently had mental breakdowns and would sob for hours after being rejected by men. Another claims he was denied for "trying pot once" but it turned out that a few of us interviewed mentioned that he liked to spend his nights out but would frequently miss paying rent.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:(1) Guideline A: Allegiance to the United States

(2) Guideline B: Foreign Influence

(3) Guideline C: Foreign Preference

(4) Guideline D: Sexual Behavior

(5) Guideline E: Personal Conduct

(6) Guideline F: Financial Considerations

(7) Guideline G: Alcohol Consumption

(8) Guideline H: Drug Involvement

(9) Guideline I: Psychological Conditions

(10) Guideline J: Criminal Conduct

(11) Guideline K: Handling Protected Information

(12) Guideline L: Outside Activities

(13) Guideline M: Use of Information Technology Systems


http://www.state.gov/m/ds/clearances/60321.htm

And to the PP who says it is easier than passing a piss test at Best Buy- you have no idea what you're talking about. People I know have been denied for drinking on the weekends.

No one cares if you drink. It is a problem if you are weird or squirmish on the poly about drinking, or if the people they interview state that you frequently black out or lose control of your actions while drinking. They don't want people blabbing secrets while drinking on the weekend. It can also be an issue if character witnesses say you tend to get drunk and pick up random women at bars, etc, because pretty women are basically a centuries old tactic for getting secrets out of men.

Unfortunately there are a lot of borderline alcoholics who don't see the severity of their actions and complain about being dinged over something little like "drinking on the weekends."

Glad you are omniscient. Thanks for declaring your superior knowledge. Not pp, but know a few people who were dinged for alcohol and they were not alcoholics. Just typical 20 somethings in DC.

Anonymous wrote:(1) Guideline A: Allegiance to the United States

(2) Guideline B: Foreign Influence

(3) Guideline C: Foreign Preference

(4) Guideline D: Sexual Behavior

(5) Guideline E: Personal Conduct

(6) Guideline F: Financial Considerations

(7) Guideline G: Alcohol Consumption

(8) Guideline H: Drug Involvement

(9) Guideline I: Psychological Conditions

(10) Guideline J: Criminal Conduct

(11) Guideline K: Handling Protected Information

(12) Guideline L: Outside Activities

(13) Guideline M: Use of Information Technology Systems


http://www.state.gov/m/ds/clearances/60321.htm

And to the PP who says it is easier than passing a piss test at Best Buy- you have no idea what you're talking about. People I know have been denied for drinking on the weekends.

No one cares if you drink. It is a problem if you are weird or squirmish on the poly about drinking, or if the people they interview state that you frequently black out or lose control of your actions while drinking. They don't want people blabbing secrets while drinking on the weekend. It can also be an issue if character witnesses say you tend to get drunk and pick up random women at bars, etc, because pretty women are basically a centuries old tactic for getting secrets out of men.

Unfortunately there are a lot of borderline alcoholics who don't see the severity of their actions and complain about being dinged over something little like "drinking on the weekends."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a TS/SCI with CI Poly. (so no questions about drug use). I have disclosed issues that, if I hid, would be a huge issue: 1) my father gave classified info to a foreign gov't years ago; 2) A third cousin (who I saw once when he was 4) is now #3 in a foreign gov't.

OP here. Thanks everyone for your input and of course welcome more experiences. To this PP, they didn't ask you about drug use at all? That's really my only concern. My MIL is a foreign national with a green card who lives with us, which has resulted in a "red flag" on DH's TS/SCI clearance but it didn't prevent him from getting it. I think he is uncertain but optimistic about whether I can pass given my drug history.

Do any of you think part of the arbitrarty nature is how bad they want you for the role? I know in this case the agency director and deputy director both want me onboard. Hoping that may carry some weight in the process I guess.

How badly they want you will not impact the granting of clearance. The investigators and adjudicators do not answer to the person that wants you. Bear in mind that how badly they want you can allow them to put you in the front of the stack.

Agree. That will have no impact whatsoever.

(1) Guideline A: Allegiance to the United States

(2) Guideline B: Foreign Influence

(3) Guideline C: Foreign Preference

(4) Guideline D: Sexual Behavior

(5) Guideline E: Personal Conduct

(6) Guideline F: Financial Considerations

(7) Guideline G: Alcohol Consumption

(8) Guideline H: Drug Involvement

(9) Guideline I: Psychological Conditions

(10) Guideline J: Criminal Conduct

(11) Guideline K: Handling Protected Information

(12) Guideline L: Outside Activities

(13) Guideline M: Use of Information Technology Systems


http://www.state.gov/m/ds/clearances/60321.htm

And to the PP who says it is easier than passing a piss test at Best Buy- you have no idea what you're talking about. People I know have been denied for drinking on the weekends.

One thing to understand is there are several tenants:
1) Must be loyal to the US
2) Must not have evidence of bad judgement -- e.g. criminal/active drug or alcohol abuse; etc
3) Must be financially stable -- bad credit that can't be explained can be an issue

Now, with a CI poly, they are going to focus on things you have done: foreign contacts, intentionally violating rules, etc.

Lifestyle: they will determine if you can be blackmailed.
For example, an active affair that the wife does not know about can be a big deal; claiming she knows about it and lying is a huge deal. It is not an issue if the wife (or hubby) knows about it and is ok.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Prior or current extramarital affair?

It will be asked. Not a disqualifier if you are up front.

Only on a lifestyle (e.g., CIA); not on a CI poly.

If having a sugar daddy is technically deemed sex work, that's probably blackmail-able because that is not something I would ever want getting out. I feel like not even going for the job. I thought the drug stuff was my main worry but the more I think about it, the more I'm realizing I have a much bigger problem. I feel sick.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Prior or current extramarital affair?

It will be asked. Not a disqualifier if you are up front.

+1 If it's some deep dark secret that you'll go to great lengths to keep covered up, then yes, that's a disqualifier. If you've come clean and put it past you - ideally your spouse knows and you all have moved on, then there's blackmail material there, right?

What they're looking for is if you're vulnerable to blackmail - they don't care that you made mistakes (for the most part - some mistakes obviously are bigger than others), but they care whether you're actively caring on with a dishonest life that can be exploited to manipulate you.

Anonymous wrote:Prior or current extramarital affair?

It will be asked. Not a disqualifier if you are up front.

TS w/ CI poly. Several family ties overseas but not close enough connections to be an issue - niece married South Korean, they are now living in ROK and raising kids, he was in ROK army, BIL from Canada, niece living in London, nephew adopted from Sudan... Lots of partying in college... I disclosed everything. Poly was painful, but got thru it.

Prior or current extramarital affair?

Anonymous wrote:Thank god this forum is anonymous.

Do they ask sexual questions? Would a past sugar daddy thing have to be disclosed?

Again, disclose everything. EVERYTHING! They interview others and if it comes out you will be disqualified. They have never asked my husband anything inappropriate. His are more focused on our family, something bad that happened (they have been very supportive so it wasn't a negative) and our foreign relatives who stay with us. I have heard they do discuss those things but if you disclose or haven't done it, its generally not an issue. They are looking to make sure you are not a security risk to the country. I did hear of a case where they made someone tell the wife. Not sure if it was real or rumor.