Hello all, so I currently work for an agency within dhs. I received a TO for another agency. I submitted my information for my bi. I received a letter from the personnel security office stating i need to explain my army discharge in which i received an other than honorable discharge over 10 years ago. I know it looks bad but its not as bad. I was young always missed formation had a smart mouth etc. looks bad i know i know, I have since had a naf job as well as my current government job and recieved a college degree since i was discharged which i might add i was 20yo and pregnant at the time. Will my discharge deny me? My investigator for my bi that i had with my current job had told me That he found out i was awol. The dates he gave me didnt even add up because I wasnt in the military the year he told me. I was wondering if my investigator gets the same information. I turned in my rebuttal for the discharge i formation almost 3 weeks ago the adjudicator stated it was with her supervisors and i would hear from hr last week. Any insight? Thanks!
What type/level of clearance are you going for?
Its for a public trust
Did you previously commit in writing any description of the discharge differing from what you are saying now? I preach constantly for honesty and full disclosure so future SF86’s are consistent. Even I had to argue with Poly when they did not have the most recent SF86 where I clearly explained information they said I did not. Did they go back, pull it and see I disclosed it? I don’t know. But 4 months later my full scope TS did come through after leaving me dangle a long time.
Be prepared to mitigate the information with accomplishments since. Time is in your favor. As is the degree. If they used the terminology of AWOL, you should as well and do not quibble over calling it “missing formation.” One can miss formation and be AWOL. Or they can miss formation and not be AWOL. Regardless, if the Army called it AWOL, you should use that term as well. Trust me when I tell you a lot of people have been AWOL. In a previous life I worked Customs and Immigration at a major base int he Pacific. Dozens of Army troops were AWOL. So many, that my boss said “since they are returning to their unit, get them to the Army Liaison office in the Terminal and press on.” We didn’t even process them for the UCMJ violation. It was that many.
So this was the investigation i had with my current federal job they told me i was awol on 2009 im which i wasnt even in the army in 2009… will the the new investigatior come up woth that same awol conclusion? I did respond back in writing telling her i did miss formations and they obviously considered it awol aince thats what my first investigator stated
They may have simply misspoke. If the investigator told you he discovered info claiming AWOL in 2009…and you were not in the military…show discharge papers and you disprove that. However, if they simply misspoke about the date and the military quantified your missing formation as AWOL…then the formal record called it AWOL. Did you receive a letter of reprimand or admonishment? Did you receive an Article 15/Captain’s Mast? If so show that. The verbiage is usually quite straightforward. Entertaining even. Did you get discharged in 2008 and orders to the individual Ready Reserve and not show up? That can be AWOL as well.
I got an article 15 for missing formations then they chaptered me. Either way awol missing formations both bad lol… with that being said do you think that having an oth will deny my suitability? That is my question considering that i already work for the Department of Homeland Security? Just trying to transfer to another agency.
Update: ha, so my suitability came back a little before the holidays. It stated currently they find me unsuitable. The charges on the document were several missed formations counselings that lead to my ucmj also my summary court martial for assualting an nco (which i never did) I have to reply to the NOPA (notice of proposal action). At this time im not even sure if its even worth it with the government being shut down and even trying to defend myself for something that happen 10+ years ago. I also have a notarized statement from the nco stating the chain of events and assualt NEVER happen, and that my chain of command made her edit her statement. How did i get into one agency but found unsuitable for another under the same department 
its heart breaking how I literally destroyed my career at 20 years old just by missing or being late to work. Let this be a lesson learned to anyone reading, just go to work!!!