Does a chef need a TS/SCI security clearance? He or she does if they plan to work at the CIA. Cooking for spies is no easy job – just check out this batch of recently released – via FOIA, of course – complaints submitted to the CIA cafeteria. (For the record, I also prefer individual ketchup packets and hate it when someone swaps out my kilbasa for one with suspect texture). But does the job of CIA chef really require access to classified information?
A recent job posting calls for an executive chef with about 10 years of experience, and – no joke – a TS/SCI clearance. I’m sure it’s a hard-to-fill position, because even the enlisted chefs in the military ranks are rarely granted security clearances. The notion of the security clearance process is that a person has a need-to-know classified information. Not just that they’re just around it, might come across it or are in proximity to it. That said, every spy worth his or her salt knows the best place to pick up secrets isn’t necessarily a briefing room – it’s a bar, locker room or – perhaps the best location in the planet – a CIA cafeteria. There’s strong merit behind the notion that the person who’s doing the cooking at the CIA shouldn’t just know his or her way around a beef bourguignon recipe, they need to know how to keep their mouths shut and have an understanding of government classification.
The Federation of American Scientists rightly points out that security clearances have taken the place of employment screening within the intelligence community and defense industry. Having obtained one – particularly a high-level clearance such as a TS/SCI, means you are a person Uncle Sam can trust.
“Though it may seem ridiculous, the requirement for a chef with a Top Secret clearance exemplifies a significant policy problem, namely the use of the security clearance process as an employee screening tool,” noted FAS’ Steven Aftergood.
Perusing the job description for the chef position in question, there seems to be no classified work that warrants the security clearance. The clearance is a requirement because of the location within the CIA’s headquarters, which it could certainly be said is one of the most locked-down IC locations in the country.
The number of individuals with active federal security clearances is under intense scrutiny in this latest round of security clearance reform efforts. Many are quick to question the ‘skyrocketing’ number of security clearances, but it’s worth noting that the number of clearances issued hasn’t jumped significantly over the past several years. You can argue that the number of clearances issued has grown larger than necessary, and that’s one reason why the government is cracking down on the number of individuals who possess clearances, largely through desk audits of contract personnel. Defense contractors are reporting that the government is no longer allowing them to ‘bench’ cleared workers who may be temporarily off of a cleared contract.
Keeping better tabs on the security clearance workforce is absolutely a good thing. As is ensuring that each clearance is truly necessary for the work being performed. And there’s something to be said for a better applicant screening process, one that takes into account trustworthiness, character, and allegiance to the United States. While a TS/SCI security clearance may not be the best qualification for the CIA’s chef, you can bet that an understanding of national security, America’s secrets and foreign intelligence collection is going to be about as important as being able to learn the proper ingredients of a Jazz salad.
