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.

Obtaining Security Clearance

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So you have a Top Secret clearance and want to apply for a Secret Service position that requires the same or lower level of clearance; no problem under the rules of reciprocity, right? Wrong! The Secret Service is one of the few exceptions when it comes to an agency being required to

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Obtaining Security ClearanceSecurity Clearance Jobs

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The Atomic Energy Act of 1946 gives the Department of Energy (DOE) the authority and responsibility for all nuclear energy information for the United States Government. The DOE grants “Q” or “L” access authorizations allowing individuals access to classified material when required by his or her official duties, or when

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Background Investigations

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The United Kingdom, one of our closest allies, conducts security vetting much in the same way as the U.S. does in granting security clearances, but there are some differences in terminology and level of inquiries. The Defense Business Services (DBS) National Security Vetting (NSV) branch is their equivalent of our

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Security Clearance Process

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In a rather unusual and interesting Defense Office of Hearing and Appeals (DOHA) case, the Statement of Reasons (SOR) issued to the individual cited Guideline K (Handling Protected Information) and Guideline E (Personal Conduct) as the disqualifiers in denying the clearance. Classified conference? Invite Only… The particular circumstances of this

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