Periodic Reinvestigation Time
Posted by admin on 10 Oct 2006 at 07:10 am | Tagged as: Getting/Updating a Clearance
Recently I received notice from my company Factility Security Officer (FSO) that my security clearance is due for reinvestigation. Even via email and the written work, I can clearly tell he’s a bit anxious. I knew we had 90 days to slowly and carefully complete the data entry in eQIP. Why the anxiety? What could cause a mild-mannered FSO to quake in his Timberlands? After some prying, he explained:
“Please be very, very careful with the information you input into eQIP. Bob did his PR last year and made one small mistake in the online form. It took a year to get the typo changed and the PR resubmitted.”
Turns out that “Bob” was still able to work on his classified projects, but word around the watercooler is that this isn’t always the case. If the PR is delayed, is it really possible that someone might be denied access to their job? Take heed! Who thought an accidental typo could cause so much grief?
FSO’s are under the gun to get info. to OPM for full-submission to field investigation in a timely manner. Everybody is now under new timelines and deadlines they have to meet. The 90 days it might take you to fill out the form means another 90 to 120 days in the field. Unacceptable. Everybody has been forced to speed up submission of information…that includes the subject of the investigation too!
Just a quick note on that. I held a TS/SCI for over 14 yrs with the Military. I was retiring in sep 2003 while my PR was on going. After they found out that i was retired. they close the investigation and closed my clearance in 11/2003 2 months after i was retired. Now I have hard times trying to get a contractor job, because they look at that as they can not have jurisdiction over the U.S. NAVY CLEARANCE that I had. If there is someone outthere that knows how to fix the problem. Please reply back to my email tony_donnacaraballo@yahoo.com. I can’t believe i serve with the U.S. ARMY (Combat Engineers) and with the U.S. NAVY (EOD Units) and retired after 20 yrs. and now I can’t even get a desk job with any defense contracting company.
I have a question regarding my clearance reinvestigation …
I am currently in the process of the eQIP experience and hold a TS. However, I have been offered a job for a start up company (I need to ask how clearances are handled.) But the question is – can I job hop while going through the reinvestigative process? What are the repercussions of doing so? I am on the shallow end of the salary pool and would really like to make more money with more opportunity and think that this might be it.
Any advice would be welcomed.
Thanks!
Chris – in some cases, yes, you can job hop and keep the Periodic Reinvestigation (PR) going. If the company you are going to switch to has a similar job at the same clearance level, chances are the PR would keep going. I’d definitely talk to the Facility Security Officer at any company you are interviewing with and get their take on it.
Beware: We’ve heard complaints from candidates (some on this blog) that say their PRs were stopped for a wide range of reasons – one being a job change.
Tony – even though your PR was halted (which really stinks, by the way) your clearance would have remained current for 2 years after you left. I believe that date would have been 11/2005. Still, the fact that they stopped it is a real disgrace to the system. Their actions pulled a qualified worker away from the defense industry, right were we needed you most.