DoD Contractor Overcomes Multiple Alcohol Related Incidents to Get Security Clearance

In a recent Defense Office of Hearing and Appeals case, a DoD contractor was able to overcome concerns with her history of incidents involving alcohol consumption to get security clearance eligibility. This was one of those cases that could have gone either way, depending on the interpretation of the mitigating circumstances by the judge. Here are the highlights of the case.

• She underwent treatment for 2 months in 2016 after being diagnosed with Alcohol Use Disorder, however, failed to fully follow the treatment plan.
• In 2017 she was arrested and charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI) after refusing to submit to a breathalyzer. She was subsequently found guilty of reckless driving.
• In 2018 she was arrested at an airport for public intoxication after having 4 drinks on a flight which landed at that airport and had to spend the night in detention sobering up.
• She admitted that in 2018 her adult children called the police when she became drunk and disorderly at home, however, she was not charged with anything for this incident.
• In 2019 she was again arrested for DUI and refusal to submit to a breathalyzer after hitting a mailbox. She was able to get the charge expunged.
• She admitted that in 2021 she called the local sheriff’s office claiming she was sexually assaulted after drinking a bottle of whiskey she found in her home. No charges were filed.
• In 2021 she was diagnosed with an Alcohol Use Disorder by a licensed psychologist.

In her appeal, she presented the fact that in a 2025 psychological assessment she was assessed as having no conditions that would affect her ability to succeed in the work environment, having been sober for one year. The DOHA judge opined that the last alcohol related incident was over 4 years ago, she had been sober of over a year, and had received a favorable evaluation from a psychologist regarding future behavior – clearance eligibility granted.