Emailed my senator last monday and today got a letter from my senator stating DoD approved me for TS.
Actually they notified the senator on 5/9 and he mailed the letter to me on 5/10. That is a fast turn around.
I guess at this point it is safe to assume my file was literally sitting in the “Approved” pile but never pushed through.
That’s a long time, but congratulations! Now you can breathe a sigh of relief
Congratulations! May I ask what you were doing in the mean time?
@clrx91… congratulations!!!
What do you mean? I work for a contractor so it wasn’t completely the end of the world if I got denied, but this will open up new avenues for career growth.
I also want to add that I didn’t really have any real weird issues. I do have an extensive drug history dating back to 2000. I’ve done cocaine, x, special K, weed, meth to be specific. My financials were a mess when I applied, but cleared up 6 months later. No foreign contacts or foreign addresses etc.
@clrx91…thanks for keeping us updated. It always helps to follow other’s stories!
@clrx91 Do you mind sharing an email template you recommend. I might have to follow your approach because I’m nearing two years.
@pawngobbler I will also reply just for an additional point for you. I contacted my Rep first (who did nothing), then my Senator. Their office was much more helpful and got me to a person who does this regularly. She had me fill out a form, but I will put copy down an altered version of what I wrote:
"Dear [Senator]'s office:
I write to your office regarding my security clearance application.
I accepted a contingent job offer with [contractor] in [date]. This was contingent upon receipt of a DoD Secret clearance, and I am unable to begin work without clearance. I applied immediately, submitting my SF-86 in [date]. In [date], I was notified that I would not receive an interim clearance (eligibility pending). A few months ago, I reached out to [Representative]'s office but I do not believe they have taken action on my request. I am currently working part-time while waiting for clearance, and today marks day [number] of waiting.
I would appreciate if [Senator] could inquire the DoD about the status of my clearance investigation, and if possible, request that the remaining stages of my investigation and adjudication be given additional priority.
I thank you for your time and consideration."
Note that they will want to know: the employer, level of clearance, which agency you will be cleared under, how long you have been waiting, and if you have already contacted another Congressperson’s office.
You got cleared for a TS with all of these issues? Wow.
What issues? Drug history? I know of plenty of people that have worse drug history than mine and have a TS. I know of people who have done drugs as recently as 6 months prior to applying for TS and got approved.
I’m not sure why people think doing drugs is such a horrible thing and will prevent you from getting a clearance.
What they want to see is if you cleaned up, why and how, but just simple doing blow or smoking pot is definitely not an indicator of negative character issues. Well if you feel otherwise, let me be clear that you are a dinosaur.
I guess you also believe that people who have hand, neck and face tattoos cant be trusted.
Well, probably because you are applying for a job that requires the trust of the federal government, and “doing drugs” constitutes breaking federal law. It’s not such a far jump in mindset from “I don’t think drugs should be illegal, so I will do them” to think “I don’t agree that this material should be kept secret, so I will leak it”. I think the government has every right to base character judgments on how you behave when faced with rules you disagree with.
If you don’t think that “doing blow or smoking pot” is dangerous and shows poor judgement, you’re a fool and have been seriously misled. If you think that doing drugs is such a wonderful thing (as opposed to a “horrible thing”, trying living next door to (or with) a heavy user. Take a hard look at what the money that you are spending is supporting and take a good hard, long, look at what some of the people that you are forced to associate with are doing.
You’re right, when, why and how you cleaned up is important and makes a difference. But, that’s because the drug use IS a strongly negative statement about character and security. Adjudicators don’t want to hear that you cleaned up because you were going to apply for a clearance, for example. This makes is too likely that you will go back to using after you clear. But, the same applies to alcohol and financial issues.
I’d like to see the people who you know that used six months before applying for a clearance. The general consensus here is that this is far to recent. So, whoever you know are rare examples and very likely have some special circumstances that allowed them to get by.
Hand, neck and face tattoos? Can’t be trusted? “Can’t” is too strong a word but, yes, I will question the judgement of those people. Yes, I have ink of my own.
Actually I think your trolling us…
I don’t believe for one second that your telling the truth. LOL, people that do blow and smoke pot as recently as 6 months getting a TS. Maybe if they omitted it on the SF86. You will not get a Public Trust if you did coke in the last 6 months and you admit to it.
Nice try but I am not buying what your selling.
Waste of time to answer someone like this…I wish this site would require a clearance as well as the jobs site…
Hi! Thanks for posting this template. I think you commented a couple of times on a post a made a few months ago. I called the agency that is currently processing me and ended up speaking with my recruiter’s boss. Within two hours of speaking with them, my recruiter called me back and let me know that security had everything and I would be getting a call in a few weeks to set up my appointment for my poly. I was also asked several times if I had questions/additional questions. I was told I would hear something definitive by December. My BI just reached out to me shortly after and I met with them last week. I’m still waiting for the call to make the appointment… but am seriously considering calling back and saying “It’s been a month, when can we schedule this?” I don’t know if frequent calls help or not.
Thanks again for posting the template, I hope I won’t ever have to use it. 
Its posted in this thread.
@Batdog123, thank you. I really appreciate this!
No problem! Just want the best for everyone! I think you are far enough enough in waiting that this can’t hurt.
@Batdog123, you’re right. Time to put on the big boy pants…lol
I used to think doing drugs wasn’t a big deal, then I got caught. Still kept doing them (there’s the poor judgment) until on probation until my dirty drug test and got sent to prison. Even did drugs for a few years after that. Then spent the next 6 years working and going to school and eventually got my degree in chemistry. Also received 3 NASA research grants followed by NASA internship at AFRC. Currently in the process of getting my felony dropped to a misdemeanor via California prop 47 followed by an expungement and a restoration of my firearm rights. Been wanting to apply for the DOE for over a decade and even if relieving my criminal record process go well plus all my achievements there’s a chance I’m going to get denied. It won’t be the end of the world but I’ve worked really hard for YEARS to go to college, while working and raising a family. So now ask me if drugs aren’t that big of a deal. Grow up or get used to minimum wage until you die because you won’t be able to afford retirement.