Walkeraviator

Years ago I was in ROTC in college on a scholarship. My MS-1 year I filled out the security clearance paperwork. I was under the assumption that the clearance had to be done by the start of my MS-3 year. Between my MS-3 and MS-4 year, I was medically disqualified while attending NALC at Ft Lewis. My question is... How do I found out if they ever finished my clearance? Do I have a clearance, even if it is old or inactive? I am just curious.

Thanks for any help

rickair7777

Assuming you got a clearance (they might have activated it without notifying you), it would have expired after ten years (secret) or 15 years (confidential). An expired clearance might be slightly better than no clearance because it would show that you can (or used to be able to) hold a clearance.


I don't think an expired clearance will shorten the process to get a new one, but it may give employers a warm-fuzzy that they aren't going to pay you to sit on your *** for three months only to have your clearance denied in the end...

Usually the military will give you a piece of paper when you discharge detailing your clearance status but maybe not for a cadet.

Find a buddy who is AD or active reserve/guard and ask him to have his command look you up in JPAS. Not 100% sure that really old records are in JPAS though.

You might also poke around on veteran's web sites, including the VA. Worst case a FOIA request to the Dep of the AF would work.

KennHC130

Work like a dog to find out, because if you are now going to apply for a clearance from scratch and in the process of researching that one, they find the "old" one and something doesn't match?? Questions will follow!

Good luck!!

spudsmac

I'm kinda in the same boat as you. I asked the NCOs at the ROTC detachment and they were worthless and wouldn't look it up. She said that they had to revoke them because they "can't just have people running around with a clearance", as if that grants you access to any classified records you want.

Anyways, I asked the Col and he said I still have it, but I don't have confirmation.

rickair7777

Typical NCO bull excrement

They don't revoke them unless you do something bad, or until they normally expire. Merely possessing a clearance does not grant you access to classified info unless you are employed directly or indirectly by the government and have a need to know.

goirishgo1976

Rick is right on! The gov't doesn't cancel a clearance for convenience. They spent enough money just for the background alone.

tye05

It is possible you have a clearance, but it is not active. You would have to have a job that required a clearance for it to be activated. JPAS would have the data. The question is why do you need the clearance, any prospective employer that requires it would be able to look it up.

Cheers T5

rickair7777

If he's looking for jobs, it would very, very helpful to know that he already has a clearance. That is very often a deal-maker or deal-breaker...civilian employers (contractors) have to pay big bucks for a clearance if they hire somebody without one. They also have to pay you to surf the net and play solitare while your clearance processes.

Spongebob

Normally, your ROTC unit has to submit the SF-86 (national security questionnaire) in order for you to do summer training, which may expose you to things at the SECRET level. With a completed and submitted form you can be granted an "Interim" clearance based on a screening of your SF-86 by your security manager. They generally look for foreign contacts or anything that would question your patriotism, reliability and responsibility. Interim is only good while you are under that security manager's purview.

Once you come back from training, that is revoked and your SF-86 goes to the bottom of the adjudication stack until you get commissioned. Then you usually update it and the actual process gets moving.

Bottom line is, if you have an active clearance, or have actually been cleared you would definitely know it as you and your references would have been interviewed by DSS and you'd have signed follow-up paperwork.

If you're interviewing for a job or filling out an app, definitely be honest about where you are. Any company that needs you to have one has the capability to look up your status...all you need is a name/social and JPAS.

It is a big deal for some work...getting a non-DOD employee a SECRET clearance runs about $150k and usually a couple years to get a final determination...see the comment above about "interim" ones that would allow you to work. Still, that's a lot of coin to lay out on a new employee.

HTH
Spongebob