I am an Iraqi Christian (Assyrian/Chaldean), I came to the states when I was 6 years old
Under US Navy definition, immediate family is parents, siblings, spouse, and children, all of these individuals are US Citizens except for my dad, who is a Dutch Citizen from the Netherlands
I have smoked marijuana before and I tried LSD once in high school senior year
I have foreign relatives, grandparents, and 2 uncles, they are all farmers and shepherds in a remote village in the middle of nowhere, considering the situation, they have never encountered any rebels or what not, they are in Iraqi Kurdistan
I was in my high schools NJROTC program, I joined their CyberPatriot with an interest in cyber ratings when I enlist in the navy
I started school in the 2nd grade (elementary)
I basically grew up here and I consider this my home, not really proud of my heritage, but always had a interest in joining the US Navy in a cyber rating, however I need to get a TS/SCI clearance, with all of these factors, do you think I have a shot at getting it?
I need a realistic, objective, and truthful answer, because I do not want to wait to see my clearance denied, thank you.
A lot of this is going to depend on how long ago your drug use was and how often you used. Did you try it once or were you doing using pot on a weekly basis? How can you prove you won’t ever do it again?
With regards to your foreign background I think you’ll be fine provided you can prove that your loyalties are with the US. Even a basic understanding of history would indicate that someone of your background would. Have you visited Iraq or the Near East since then?
I’m a naturalized citizen and I had some mild drug use in college so I get where you’re coming from. For better or for worse we have a higher burden of proof than others but if your intentions are pure and you are honest, things will work out.
The time spent in Iraq, in a non-employment situation, is going to be difficult to mitigate. It’s not a good look when trying to work for the government.
I might be stating the obvious, but I see it a lot - your foreign relatives, grandparents, 2 uncles, etc. will have to be listed as foreign contacts, even though they don’t fall under the “immediate family” definition. You will also have to list who you stayed with when you lived in Iraq (also as a foreign contact).
I would say your chances for a TOP Secret/SCI are near zero. You are going to have to list every relative and every second of your whereabouts when you traveled to Iraq.
Unless your a superstar with qualifications that are hard to find, honestly speaking, I would work in a different uncleared world. Have you spoken with a Navy recruiter?
I was in a village in the middle of no-where 200 miles away from any urban city, living with shepherds and farmers who have nothing to do with anybody.
They are also extremely poor, and they live under 100$ a month. My grandparents came to the states on a visa in 2013, and we offered them asylum, but they refused, saying that, they were too old, and they just wanted to live their lives out in our home country.
As of now they are all unemployed and rely on cow milk to sell to local villagers.
You don’t? Really? That, to me, says a lot about your understanding of what is going on here.
A year and a half in Iraq? Do you know of anybody who might have been recruiting Americans in Iraq during that time? Do you think that their activities are limited to the big city or do you think that they might be going after those living on $100/mo?
I’m not accusing you of anything but you really can’t see the issue?
No to your first question, yes to your second question. I know my foreign family up and down, they are ascetic, pacifistic. Lol, my grandfather has lived through 5 wars in that country, he never came in contact with any rebel.
I also think you have no idea what your talking about.
Don’t take his advice personally. The advice here is given from the investigative side, from how the facts are perceived and worked. Best of luck to you.
The problem is that the need to research the risk isn’t based on YOUR PARTICULAR SET OF PARENTS. It’s based on the general case where someone has spent extensive time overseas in less than friendly countries. They don’t just make this ■■■■up! The rules, the things that are looked at are based, among other things, on analysis of past security breaches and the history of those have betrayed their sworn requirement to protect the secrets of our nation. In the long run, this isn’t about you.
I don’t really care if you think that I know what I’m talking about. Pretty much everybody who responded to you said the same thing. If you think that none of us know what we are talking about you’re welcome to go find another site that will tell you what you want to here.
The simple fact is that you have no right to a clearance or to a job that requires clearance. It’s up to you to show that “it is in the best interests of national security to grant you access to classified material”. If you don’t admit to a risk, you’re going to have a tough time with that.
I never said none of you know what your talking about, I do think you know what your talking about based on your knowledge of security. What I think you dont know what your talking about is the security risk my foreign relatives present.
I also have unquestionable loyalty to the US, and I always wanted to work for the federal government, if I was so inclined towards another government, I would work for them, but I have no desire to do so as they do not represent my interests.
Based on your responses to these replies, I am certain that your in over your head. Look to work in any industry that is not part of the Federal government. If you apply for a federal job your going to go through a lot of unneeded stress only to come to the conclusion your not clearable. In another post of yours you admitted to trying to Hack an account. Your not federal material.
What you have been told, over and over, is that it doesn’t matter that your family is not a risk. It will still need to be researched and it’s up to you to show that they are not. The assumption is always in the direction of protecting national security. If the government can’t be certain that you are not compromised, they aren’t going to clear you. If you don’t understand and admit the risk, you can’t mitigate it.