All DoD security clearance holders are now subject to continuous vetting to keep them
By Meghann Myers
Oct 5, 04:03 PM
Traditionally, the agency that bestows security clearances on government employees re-investigates those candidates on a cyclical basis, checking on their credit reports, criminal histories and so on, once every several years.
@rangerrebew Not really true for Top Secret code word stuff and people. Even something like a drunk-driving arrest will have you called in for a "conference" before it even gets to court.
The good news is (was?) that the people who did these investigations knew how to recognize serious offenses from harmless fun stuff,but if you started running your mouth about "code word operations" while they were current,you would quickly find yourself living in a private room with guards.
Can't speak for ever other goobermint organization,but the Army counter-intelligence people took this stuff seriously.
To the point that people like me who had TS/Crypto/code word clearances would be listed as deserters if we went missing for 24 hours. "Went missing" was defined as "out of contact,and not where you told you commander where you would be during that time period,and how to contact you."
IIRC,we weren't even allowed to travel more than 50 miles from our duty station without seeking special approval,but this probably had more to do with being able to respond to some sort of tactical emergency somewhere in the world,where there was a limit on how much time you had.
Generally speaking,you could ignore the distance thing as long as someone in your chain of command knew where you were and how to contact you quickly.
And given the nature of the people I am speaking about,being called in for an emergency deployment to pretty much anywhere to do pretty much anything was the equivalent of threatening to give a hungry dog a raw steak.
I miss having enough adreneline to be an adrenilne junkie. The world back then was an exciting,wonderful place to live,where you had friends you knew you could count on to cover your back under ANY circumstances. These days,we are lucky to have friends faithful enough to pay us back the 10 bucks we lent them.
Hell,my ex's sister is my best friend,and the only one I know I can count on to help me if I really need something.
Although,to give the devil her due,my ex has also told me that if/when I ever get sick enough I can no longer live alone,I can come live with her. This qualifies as the very definition of "desperate times" for me,though. I would rather join a leper colony.
