Author Archive

Marko Hakamaa

Marko Hakamaa served in various military police positions with the United States Army worldwide for 22 years before retiring in 2006 as a Master Sergeant. Afterwards, he transitioned into the civilian workforce as a contractor background investigator for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) before entering civil service as a Security Specialist in 2009.

Career AdviceObtaining Security ClearanceSecurity Clearance Process

Ketamine, also known on the street as Cat Valium, Jet K, Special K, Purple, Super K, and a few other colorful names, is a controlled substance approved by the FDA for use as a short-acting anesthetic for use in humans and animals. Veterinary use is the most common. Physicians have

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Security Clearance Denial

There is a saying in military circles about what happens when you are on travel to a temporary duty assignment (TDY) stays there. This also applies to DoD civilians and contractors. Well, one DoD contractor found out this is not necessarily true after having his clearance eligibility denied due to

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Security Clearance Denial

Federal contractor companies are constantly looking for IT professionals to fill critical positions to support their contracts with government agencies. This in-demand career field is fast moving with constant changes in requirements. This puts pressure on IT specialists to keep up with the pace and sometimes leads to taking shortcuts

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Security Clearance Denial

More and more often, on all levels of background investigations I see applicants who fail to disclose required information. Some attribute it to oversight and failing to thoroughly read the questions and others claim an unfamiliarity with filling out government forms. Regardless, all applicants must check the box on the

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