The government psychologist opined that anyone who has been arrested for DUI has driven drunk countless other times – perhaps hundreds of times – without being caught.
MAVNI soldiers who receive communications from the government should continue to scrupulously comply with all response deadlines; not assume extensions or requests for representation by a JAG attorney will be granted (they probably won’t be); and continue to consult with their legal counsel, as necessary.
It turns out that Carly Simon’s famous lyrics, “You’re so vain…” don’t just apply to Warren Beatty. In the case of one federal agency employee, they were an apt descriptor of her own narcissistic personality – at least according to her employing agency, which deemed her a national security risk because of it.
The odds of actually being spied on, extorted, or stalked are admittedly slim, but on the rare occasion that theoretical becomes reality the consequences can be devastating. I’d liken the cost-benefit analysis to buying homeowner’s insurance; the odds are slim that your house will burn down or flood, but if it does, you’ll be glad to have paid your policy premiums all those years.
Identified as the SF-86’s “Association Record” component, the innocuous title gives way in part to a question about whether the applicant has ever been involved in an organization dedicated to violently discouraging others from exercising their civil rights.
Think blackmail and extortion is the stuff of spy novels and films? Think again. A digital, cyber connected world actually presents more chances for security clearance holders to become victims, and a handful of individuals find themselves facing the threat each year.
Regardless of the reason for the suspension or revocation, you’ll be suddenly confronted with a stark reality: until the suspension is lifted or the revocation overturned on appeal, you won’t meet a condition of employment, assuming your position requires a security clearance, as most cleared billets do.
Work in or around government for any length of time and you’ll undoubtedly be immersed in the alphabet soup of acronyms, abbreviations, and jargon that has developed over decades to describe the “who, what, where, why, and how” of federal agency operations. Add in some military service and you’re well on your way to being fluent in government-speak.