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 Advice

As a security professional I do a lot of reading and research to keep up with the constant changes in my chosen career field.  During the course of my reading I have come to the conclusion that many people who apply for federal contractor or civil servant positions seem confused

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Obtaining Security Clearance

Despite the fact that in today’s high tech society nearly everyone has instant access to a sea of information via the internet, an important requirement for males living in the U.S. is quite often overlooked or discounted.  The Selective Training and Service Act  instituted in 1940, temporarily suspended in 1975,

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Background InvestigationsSecurity Clearance Process

Most security clearance applications that are rejected by the Defense Industrial Security Clearance Office (DISCO) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) are due to missing or incomplete information. Applicants can help expedite the clearance process by ensuring their application is filled out completely and accurately with current phone numbers, addresses, and

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Obtaining Security Clearance

A recent news story from New Mexico highlights the seriousness of conduct that is directed towards law enforcement officials. According to an article filed by Reuters, Yolanda Arguello, a kitchen employee working as a contractor for the New Mexico Department of Corrections licked the cheese on sandwiches and sucked on ice

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