I have had a TS/SCI for more than a decade. Recently a series of events-- family health, personal health, everything related to COVID, current employment conditions, family issues-- happened within a one-week period in such a way that I felt compelled to consider suicide. I was admitted to the hospital, and VOLUNTARILY entered care for three days. VOLUNTARILY.
The US Military is NOT my sponsor; they have nothing to do with my status as a Cleared Civilian. However, somehow my Command (I am part of the Guard/Reserves) found out about my hospitalization and “flagged” my Clearance in JPAS. It was recently reviewed (no issues) in March of 2020. Now it is July of 2020 and my civilian employer is now stating that they do not want to go through the process of investigation, and my TS/SCI is effectively due to be revoked since the US Military (not my sponsor) will not hold my TS/SCI.
I am employed as a civilian due to my TS/SCI, acquired by civilian employers.
The US Military flagged me in JPAS after somehow finding out about my VOLUNTARY check in to a hospital. I am in no way ashamed of this, nor do I believe it is something that should be considered as a reason to lose my Clearance. My Clearance was flagged in JPAS WHILE I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL. I had no way to contact any FSO, Security manager, or my Sponsor in order to explain what was going on-- there was NEVER an opportunity to self-report or in any way address the issue.
So now I am potentially losing my job; I am very likely losing my TS/SCI Clearance, and the US Military is unwilling to assist since I do not NEED a TS/SCI to perform my Military duties.
This is a bit strange. You’re saying that the military isn’t sponsoring your clearance and yet complaining that they then won’t sponsor it/ won’t help in any way. You’re right, if your MOS doesn’t require a TS/SCI, then they have no reason to sponsor one.
Sounds like the issue is with the agency that actually sponsors your clearance, not the military.
I had no way to contact any FSO, Security manager, or my Sponsor in order to explain what was going on-- there was NEVER an opportunity to self-report or in any way address the issue.
Hindsight is 20/20, but since your hospitalization was VOLUNTARILY, you should have probably shot a quick email to your FSO to let them know what you were doing.
As quickly as everything happened (within the span of an afternoon) there was legitimately no time to contact anyone-- just a simple request for EMS and a voluntary check in at the hospital. Apparently, somehow, information regarding my stay was given to the Military before I was even discharged, and thus I had no way to self-report the incident.
As expensive as the TS/SCI investigations are (along with time-consuming) my employer doesn’t need to sponsor my reinvestigation-- I completely understand this.
At this point, my question centers around the method I go about appealing the decision, giving more information to someone who can reverse/investigate the flag, or otherwise do more than just “go along for the ride” and lose my TS/SCI due to revocation, rather than falling out of scope.
There is someone, somewhere, that is causing this issue. Voluntary, even involuntary, hospitalization is not an instant DQ. I know this as a fact from my experiences investigation people.
There might be more to the story/issue we don’t know. Unfortunately, we on this discussion board really can’t help as we don’t have all of the information. In fact, you probably don’t either.
First, glad you took care of yourself and didn’t let a petty thing stand in your way.
Second, you should probably find out how they learned about this and disclosed this to the military. I’m no expert but shouldn’t you have some HIPPA protections here?
A person in my chain of command is looking into HOW information of my hospital stay made it to my Command. From what I’ve been able to find out so far, this is the major issue at hand. Even my own Primary Care physician had no idea what had happened until I revealed it. So as mentioned above, what might be a breach of HIPAA laws seems to be my best way forward.
It is becoming quite clear to me that the literal Catch-22 of being a cleared individual seeking help is viewed as a negative event and somehow a threat to National Security needs to be revisited. It’s been my understanding that Self-Reporting for negative events (credit, criminality, foreign contact, etc.) is all reported so that a person cannot be manipulated or shamed by someone wishing harm against National Security. I have known people who reported everything from previously being an exotic dancer to conviction of involuntary manslaughter who retained their clearance because they weren’t afraid of the information becoming public, even though others might have disapproved. Checking into a heathcare facility should NOT be viewed on the same level as someone convicted of a felony, but here we are.
I am pretty certain that the opacity of the situation above me is a detriment, and I understand that-- but considering that my civilian livlihood is tied to my ability to hold a Clearance, I’m trying to do everything I can to have the situation at least investigated, if not revisited.
Thanks again. I will update if anything is revealed to me that might help someone else here.
Sorry to hear about your circumstances. It’s been my experience that Guard units are very incestuous and “gossipy.” There are obviously good and bad things about that but it doesn’t surprise me that news travels fast, especially if you live in a smaller community. Perhaps a friend of a friend or spouse of a Guardsman works at the hospital and one careless remark led to another and an assumption. HIPAA laws are all fine and good but they can never protect from everything. It’s also been my experience that Guard units are the most inexperienced and unfamiliar with the investigation/security process systems.