They are currently in ROTC, and lied about past drug usage in applying for a secret security clearance.
Now, later in their career, some are considering becoming intelligence officers. They are scared that admitting to lying about the drug usage in the past will not only disqualify them from obtaining a TS/SCI, but may also get them kicked out of ROTC/clearance revoked.
If they came clean about past drug usage AND past lying on the secret clearance application, would this be an automatic disqualification from getting a TS/SCI? Would it get their secret clearance revoked?
One friend did drugs while he had a clearance, the other friend stopped drugs after he got his clearance, but still lied on his application.
TS-SCI only asks if you’ve used drugs in the last 7 years. Maybe it’ll be greater than 7 years when you apply for the TS-SCI so you won’t have a contradiction.
You only have to worry about it in a poly AND if you are asked have you ever. And also, if they bother to look at your application for secret. I wouldn’t sweat it.
The answer to your question is yes, lying on a security clearance application is disqualifying. Sounds like one of them, in order to continue hiding the fact that they used drugs while in a cleared status, will have to lie on a future clearance application when they answer the question about using illegal drugs while possessing a clearance. They will have to weigh the risks of whether to disclose now or perhaps get caught in the lie in the future. Pretty good chance that as a potential intelligence officers a polygraph will be in their future.
Yeah, let me correct my comment and say I agree with Marko. I didn’t read the question thoroughly. I thought it involved the issue I see a lot, which is casual pot use at high school parties when Subject was 15 or 16. Using illegal drugs while possessing a clearance is egregious. But lying about it on the SF-86 is a federal felony. Doing that to protect career options is extremely reckless. Mind-bogglingly reckless. And you’ll be smoked out by a good polygrapher. Happens all the time. Everyone does stupid stuff. Sometimes they don’t get caught. But they ALWAYS get caught in the web they weave to conceal it.