Say I had a short bout of depression during my time in the military. Received treatment, and did not disclose it on my sf-86. Can/will the investigator pull my medical records from the military?
If it was done through a military doctor, then yes, the investigator will have access to those records. Was this treatment command directed? If so, you are not required to list it on the form (it says so in the prompt). However, if you received treatment and medication for a extended period of time then those concerns will have to be mitigated.
rbr is correct. Not all mental health treatment is reportable. Read the questions carefully and answer honestly.
The urban myth is that mental health kills your clearance. It does not hurt your clearance except when you don’t report it when required or if the medical professional reports you have a condition that would keep you from having a security clearance (i.e. not be able to understand your responsibilities, etc); The biggest reason doctors don’t recommend Subject’s for their clearance? Subject stopping the treatment or not showing for treatment. Getting treated for mental health when you need help is a mitigating (good) factor in the adjudication.
As I’ve stated over and over, being honest and upfront gets the clearance quicker than lying and hiding.
SF-86 has changed and does not require you to report treatment for depression.
It’s my understanding (based on my personal review of completed NBIB BI’s) that military medical records are not routinely pulled for every investigation. They are pulled typically when the subject reveals treatment that occurred within the scope of questions on the sf-85/85p/86.