I typed the following into the “New POTUS” conversation that was removed while typing so missed the posting window.
Here goes…
So the bulk of FI assignments are military related - be that in support of contractors who have jobs connected to military projects or military members who need clearance support.
I am very(!!) troubled by the messages being sent from this new administration about military - from removing military flags previously displayed within the people’s house to kicking the guard to the curb without care for their well-being is absolutely disappointing.
Should interest in military support continue to wane, the already depleted FI workload will wane as well.
Sure, I do not care for the current administration; so what. I’m not going to take that woe is everything and everyone attitude. Sure, I’m conservative, but that doesn’t mean I can’t function with this undesired reality. There’s more to life than politics and I’m looking forward to getting involved in other pursuits I enjoy for as along as I’m able to do so. Whether you’re celebrating what January 2021 has ushered in or have concern, like me, I wish one and all wellness and prosperity found in joyful even unexpected ways.
Don’t let the talk and rhetoric get you down. It’s just that, talk. I say that as someone who’s worked in D.C. for decades and has seen how the sausage is made, up close.
I’ve worked with members of Congress, Cabinet secretaries, ambassadors, senior aides, et al. I’ve been on a first-name basis with some of them and I’ve been privy to a lot of inside baseball stuff.
Please don’t let me destroy your belief that American politics is the Platonic form of representative democracy but from my personal experience it’s closer to an exclusive, well-regulated country club. And what the average citizen sees and hears— through a tightly controlled, filtered, and crafted media— is orchestrated political theater. (Nb: this is why bull-in-a-China-shop #45 was hated by the Establishment®). Tune it out.
Anyway, nothing much will change at the ground level and any changes in the BI or military world are due to the ongoing inexorable evolution in those worlds and not to any change in political winds.
It does no good to worry about things outside of our immediate sphere of influence and for nearly all of us that’s politics, particularly national politics.
Do something that will affect and change your world, your life, immediately and permanently. Redirect the energy wasted on politics to learn a useful foreign language. Study the free STEM courses on Khan Academy. Study the free beginner courses on IT, cybersecurity, data science, AI, et al., on Coursera. For a very modest amount of money (~$100-$200) you can earn very marketable certificates in Cybersecurity Analyst or Data Science from Coursera.
And in your free time stay away from cable news and social media! Instead watch sports or movies or play Xbox.
All sound advice. There is very very little to nothing we can do to change the direction of this country. So might as well improve a skill or talent or develop one. Go snowshoeing, skiing, go for a hike, read a book, improve your diet, lose some weight, exercise, etc.
I don’t see it under OPM again. OPM accidentally became a security clearance provider in the late 90s/early 00s. Also, they blew it when they used the investigation “profits” for their other departments instead of upgrading/protecting PIPS.
Bluntly, I think DoD has found they like the speed of the new investigations. The whole program is about risk management. Out of the house fieldwork will probably be limited to work that can not be done remotely or will be quicker in person. I also see a future where more Agents will be living in the RUS pay areas versus the high locality pay areas. The bulk of work will be initial cases, upgraded Subject’s and triggered investigations from CE.
The BI contractor world has shrunk dramatically. In my immediate AO we only have one part-time contractor remaining. The rest have retired or found other jobs over the last 18 months. We’ve not replaced three agents that left or retired.
FWIW, I stopped watching US media as a serious source of information in the early 80s when I discovered through my military employment (daily briefs) how much the media is entertainment vs real news. It became worse when the FCC rules about content responsibility were removed in the 90s. This was for all sides/views.
Facebook I only visit two to three times a year and that is just to keep in touch with old military and childhood friends or thank folks for acknowledging my birthday. Facebook is too much like the high school lunch room - way too much drama with people thinking I care about their passions.