It’s common to move around a lot in the defense industry. These jobs and clearances take us to opposite ends of the country on a regular basis. Maybe the contract you supported changed HQ locations, or the scope of work for a specific program was moved to another spot. Either way, whether it be temporary or permanent, moving is the name of the game, and the SF-86 is the girlfriend requesting you to share your location with her.
While you might think moving that much is an issue, I am here to tell you it isn’t. Take a deep breath and relax, because the Government is prepared for this and has ways to track the alignment between your roles (reported) and your geographical location. Moving that frequently isn’t a problem in the least if your timeline and the resume you submit with your SF-86 are aligned.
The Inside Scoop
Where the Government might start to ask questions is if a location you put down for permanent residence doesn’t match the work location within that timeline. I reached out to a friend of mine who does background investigations to ask how this has changed over the last five years, since COVID. My friend said it’s gotten easier to verify because remote work and VPNs are being logged. Way to go, modern technology, as it sounds like this is a win for our folks spending man-hours tracking us down.
One area my buddy said is of concern that might raise a flag with locations is living internationally. We know we must report residences overseas, regardless of employment status, but it’s imperative to know that, within the Intelligence Community, it is better to live in a location that supports our partners rather than one with red tape and travel nightmare notifications. Another point to make with listing international residence is your personal involvement and financial interest in foreign financial interests.
What can you do to help the investigators make this a smooth and easy investigation? Over-document, over-share, and over-communicate your whereabouts relating to your career path. Don’t be afraid to move, but also, do yourself a favor and write down all your addresses in a safe space. Because, regardless of whether it’s been more than ten years since living at that residency, you know the topic will come up again. It is only a matter of time.
