Hello, new here and have been scanning this forum. I wanted to see if any investigator or adjudicator could offer some advice.
About myself, I’m 25(m). I currently work for the government on a federal fire crew. I want to pursue a career in the army that requires a secret clearance. This won’t be happening until later next year so I have wiggle room. I’ve been researching about the clearance process, I’ve downloaded a PDF of SEAD 4 and the ADR, as well as the sf86, and kinda just filled it out in my head and figuring what mine would look like.
My concerns are
Finance, drugs, and mental health
Biggest concern is finance, biggest reason for a denial. I’ve read alot about people having life happen and falling into debt, way North of 10k, being behind on payments while going through clearance, dealing with collections, basically the whole 9 yards. My issue revolves around having a history of being late on payments. I was young, and was never taught finances or how to manage and budget and I got careless. I’ve also had things go to collections I believe 3 times, never amounting more than $400. That happened for around age 19-23. I always paid everything off in full though, although I did have multiple bills over 120 days, as listed for something on the sf86. So I’m just curious on mitigation on that, if just staying current on all payments, which has happened for almost a year now, or speaking with a financial advisor helps my case as well.
For drugs, I’m no so worried, typical highschool kid, smoked marijuana regularly, although it never controlled any aspect of my life. Always easy to stop when I felt the need, never in trouble with the law. After I turned 19 and got my first big job, I realized drugs and the professional world don’t mix, least not for me. So I stopped completely and haven’t smoked since. I did however obtain a medical marijuana card for my state in 2018. I felt more comfortable putting that in my body than Tylenol or Advil. Nonetheless I never actually purchased mj with the card, never felt right. I’ve also cut all ties with people I drank or smoked with when I was 19.
Lastly, I was put on Prozac at 13 after my mother passed. I believe I was diagnosed with depression, but if I remember correctly, it was pushed by my father. The last kicker here is when I was 15, I drank and got drunk for the first time. My father came home and found me pretty drunk and a week later, checked me out of school and put me into a rehab for month. They also prescribed me another anti depressant while I was there. With my current job, it requires arduous physical capability, so for the past 4 years I’ve rarely touched alcohol. I feel it interferes with my performance and I’ve lost alot of interest in partaking in drinking.
All in all, looking back, my youth has a lot of things working against me and I’m not as clean as I thought I was. Wish I could change things, but that’s how life is.
My research has caused a lot of stress and worry that I may have to let go of my pursuit of my dream job. I will not be lying on the sf86 and plan on being an open book, but with all my mitigation efforts and lifestyle change I’m worried there is too much stacked against me even if I have cleaned up my act. I figured getting proffesional
Advice here would atleast give me some kind of since for my situation.
Any advice or insight is appreciated for this nervous wreck, thanks for enduring that novel of mine.