I am age 22 and this past summer received clearence to be a student intern in the DoD. I didn’t think much of the Sf86 on eQip and soecifically wheh they ask about drug use so I simply put none and got clearence.
My question is now I am soon to be into a real job with a different agency in the DoD and will need to update my sf86 and eQip. I am assumig my clearence has been gone as I am back in school for the year. So, I am wondering if i should include drug use history as I havent used a drug in since march of 2016 and would feel better if it was included on my sf86. Would I be in trouble if this info was not on my sf86 but it now is for my re-submitting or would the agency even now? Would I be denied clearence for simple drug use over a year ago and while in college? Or would I have trouble if last time I got clearence there waa no drug use mentioned and now it is all the sudden there when applyinng again?
Well, you are on the right track as far as no longer using drugs and wanting to come clean. However this will lead to questions about your first SF-86/eQIP. You will at best have a more complicated investigation and at worst have your clearance suspended while they complete the investigation (and yes you still have a clearance or at least your clearance can easily be reactivated for two years assuming the new agency accepts it).
At this point the issue is not so much the drug use (which is serious) but the fact that you did not fill out the previous form truthfully.
When you do disclose the drug use, they’ll want details about frequency of use, how you got the drugs, stuff like that, and did you really stop in March 2016 (ie did you ever use after you got a clearance and had access to classified information). An investigator will surely want to go all over this again.
You’re doing the right thing, and if it causes a problem for you, well, better to get it out of the way now at age 22 and through voluntary disclosure than later on.
The issue is, if I read your timeline correctly, that you used illegal drugs 3 months prior to applying for or being granted a security clearance. That clearance was granted based on false information provided by you. You would not have been granted the clearance had you disclosed the drug use. See the problem here?
Mitigating factors for the drug use itself are your age at the time, environment (college), and time (now a year has passed). But there is no mitigation for your dishonesty and lack of candor. It may be overlooked, but then again it may not!
I was trying to figure out how to send you a PM. Sorry if I am hijacking this thread but could you send me one? I had a question but would feel better keeping it private.