I will give them a call Monday and acquire about verification prior to the interview. I have a stellar record, no alcohol, drugs or financial issues. I filled my sf86 thoroughly. Also, I completed my BI with agency1. I did inform them about it. Do you think they have a copy of it from agency1? Also, everything seems to be moving extremely fast. Could it be the reason behind this? Please note that I was at the facility for two days, and did many exams and had a panel of interviewers and multiple interviews (not for field word).
Again, I am very concerned about it!
Iām not sure if my reply will go directly to you, but here it is.
I did not mean to imply that you or any other investigator approved of the way OPM/NBIB has been cutting corners to reduce the backlog. My complaint is that OPM is and has been creating a culture that discourages investigators from actually investigating.
I did my first PSI while in the Army before DIS came into existence in 1974. Later I worked for DIS, DSS, and OPM as a federal employee until I retired in 2007. The last few years of DSS were bad, but they were better than the 2 years I spent in OPM. OPM didnāt have any leaders, only administrators and bean counters.
Best regards,
Bill
Bill, i took no offense, I was venting some of my own concerns and frustrations with the program. I am aware of your background, read your first book, many of your articles, and always respect your knowledge.
My first Subject interview was during basic training in 1978 for the TS/SCI. I have been in the government security world ever since that interview. I understand the program. I also understand the frustration working with people who donāt understand the difference between coverage and investigating or the people who ask questions but donāt know why they are asking those questions.
I would love to sit and pick your brains one day - we probably have more in common professionally and outlook than either of us realizeā¦
WH and BI, I would like to pick both of your brains given your combined experience. I was a contract investigator for about half a year before I chose to resign. My reasons were numerous, but can be abstracted to one thing: integrity. Too often I was forced to choose between a quota and completing a quality investigation - and not the āquality standardsā OPM likes to speak of. Training was also subpar at best. I understand that it takes awhile to fully learn the job, but training never provided the necessary foundation to build upon. There were many too many discrepancies between the class and the field - major discrepancies that is - that it became hard to trust what you were told. Coupled with that the fact that I am putting my name on an official report of investigation, you can probably see where I was losing sleep at night. I wanted to do everything I could in the name of national security and all that entails, however it became apparent national security wasnāt a priority. If DSS changes the culture (which is highly unlikely), I would love to be an investigator again. I did, after all, enjoy the flexibility and variation of job locations each day, along with other aspects of the job. All in all, I just got tired watching my back, waiting for my company to screw me over when they are entirely complicit. I didnāt want to be the scapegoat. You all seem like a relief of common sense that is missing. And for that, I offer the both of you nothing but the best.
Ele, OPM has a phone number where you can call and verify the investigator. Ask your BI to provide a badge number and then call the OPM number. (Type āopm investigator verificationā into Google and it will direct you to a website with the official phone number.) You can also request to do the interview in person, they will assign another investigator in your location to do it. There is nothing wrong with that, Iāve done interviews on the phone and Iāve scheduled them out when an in-person interview was requested. Good luck!