Security Clearance Issue

[ETC Pat Kaschube]

All Delaine Tate brought this up a while back and I choose not to post anything since I was dealing with that very same issue. Perhaps that was not the correct choice at the time but I thought then that being at such a small unit that the member in question could be too easily identified.
Today I said goodbye to a member due to financial iresponsibility.I have been dealing with this for a very long time. The member basically did not disclose previous debts that he had, in excess of $15,000.00, on his SF86. Well the security center is pretty thourough and it bit him in the butt. He had what seemed like a valid reason at the time and I my command and the security center all bit off on it. He did all the right things untill he finally missed a payment and that was the last straw. It has been a long process.
I do not want to put the burden of this situation on those that supervise non-rates, but where should this kind of issue be caught? The recruiter? The Chief that sends them to "A" school? "A" school itself. There are many reasons to be denied a security clearance but it would seem to me that anyone in that "chain" could do a simple credit check to prevent this from happening.
Others more recently have had to deal with much worse issues but this is was the worst day of my 21 years.

[OSC Chuck Owens]

I hate to say it but until the coasty needs a " Clearance the wheels grind slow on the credit check issue! As a security officer I was bombarded by this issue time and again! The system needs to be changed of course but to get the quotas for peeps to sign up, to then have the coastys that need clearances (not all do sorry to say) you are at the mercy of the system! Usally the SECCEN is pretty good about working with the member to square away even to the point of a (correct me if I am wrong) a board to review the coastys issues in regard to his debt! Plus if the coasty would have "taken care of business" in the first place we wouldnt have this discussion! My worst was a Coasty goin OCS but had a $140,000 debt!! WOW!!! What a mess! Bit we squared it away! Seems her ex used her for a little LOAN!!!! But man the paperwork jeez I thought I was an accountant!!!!

Good luck!

Retired an lovin it!

[AMTCM John Long]

Luckily for the aviation community, most all the security packages are submitted prior to entering the AN Program. When I was working as an LCPO, when a package was flagged, it seemed like finances was a leading culprit. Most issues could be resolved and the SECCEN was pretty good about working with the member when they attempted to resolve the issue in good faith. What was a flaming red flag was when the member "forgot" about an overdue bill on the SF86. It seems the skeletons in the closet would wake up after that.

[ETC Pat Kaschube]

I hate to say it but until the coasty needs a " Clearance the wheels grind slow on the credit check issue! As a security officer I was bombarded by this issue time and again! The system needs to be changed of course but to get the quotas for peeps to sign up, to then have the coastys that need clearances (not all do sorry to say) you are at the mercy of the system! Usally the SECCEN is pretty good about working with the member to square away even to the point of a (correct me if I am wrong) a board to review the coastys issues in regard to his debt! Plus if the coasty would have "taken care of business" in the first place we wouldnt have this discussion! My worst was a Coasty goin OCS but had a $140,000 debt!! WOW!!! What a mess! Bit we squared it away! Seems her ex used her for a little LOAN!!!! But man the paperwork jeez I thought I was an accountant!!!!

Good luck!

Retired an lovin it!

Chuck
The SECCEN was very generous in their ruling after his board. I was actually suprised. The trouble with this member was he just decided not to follow up on his obligations. His choice. I have had some long nights concerning him. He was a good perfromer and very professional. Doesn't hold much water where financial responsibility is concerned.
My question still is, before a non-rate decides to go to a school where a clearance is a requirement, as a Chief should we tell them to at least run a free credit report to see if there are any issues and look at that report prior to putting them on the "A" school list. Couldn't we as Chiefs take some of burden off of the "process". If a SN came to you wanting to go to OS school and they showed you their credit report and it showed a debt of $XX,XXX.00 wouldn't you then stop them from going to school. That is a hypothetical situation but I'm just thinking that we look out for our people so why let them get all the way through school, get the crow just to be discharged. This hurts the member as well as the Coast Guard.

[ETC Pat Kaschube]

Not being in front of excel I can't put this into a more usable format,
I have a question for those that may be able to answer.

1. Cost to put a member through Basic training

2. Cost to put a member through
A. ET school + ( E3 pay X waiting list)
B. IT School + ( E3 pay X waiting list)
C. OS School + ( E3 pay X waiting list)
D. Aviation Schools that require a clearance + ( E3 pay X waiting list)
E. Other "A" Schools that require a clearance. + ( E3 pay X waiting list)

Free credit report should be interjected somewhere before any of that money is spent. Should the recruiters be required to look into this? I don't know which is why I'm throwing it out there.

[AMTCM John Long]

Pat,

The member likely knows if his credit report suspect. I have seen a timing loophole when a member has decent/avg credit report prior to A school yet has accounts spread all over the place and is making just the minimum payments to keep the creditors happy. The member is anticipating his/her new pay raise will cover the accumulating debt. After the member reports to his/her new unit, they don't have the money to get a place to live and then have to get a MA loan.

So....beside doing a credit check, I would also ask the member about current accounts payable not captured by the credit report. You should be able to get an idea if the E3 is spreading his/her finances too thin. Also, if you hear the phrase "paycheck to paycheck"......that is another hint the member could run into a problem during A school or down the road. I would always suggest the member see the unit's financial advisor and get an evaluation done. That is a good first step.

Just my experience....John

[BMC Russell Miller]

Pat,
Alot of the new folks are coming with security clearences, or you will get a message within a couple of months of them reporting. That been helping, alittle.

You may want to check with legal on running credit check on your folks, this is a little beyond our scope. All you can do is when they fill out SF86 is tell them to get a credit report from all three and let them know if they leave something out it will come back and bite them.

[AMTCM John Long]

Pat,
Alot of the new folks are coming with security clearences, or you will get a message within a couple of months of them reporting. That been helping, alittle.

You may want to check with legal on running credit check on your folks, this is a little beyond our scope. All you can do is when they fill out SF86 is tell them to get a credit report from all three and let them know if they leave something out it will come back and bite them.

I think SECCEN does credit reports automatically when they get a package. The idea for the member (not supervisor) to get a credit report prior to submitting the package is to find out what might show up. If something is in arrears (child support, utility bill, etc), the member can get it reconciled and clear his/her record.

I have never heard of any supervisor/CO/OINC runnning credit checks on their troops. It might be possible for official reasons like an investigation.

[BMCS Nick Pupo]

I never have nor do I ever anticipate doing a credit check on anybody who works for me. Now, if a person ask how to get one, I will help them out. Or, if they are in credit trouble there again, I will help them out. But actually doing a credit check myself for a member, in my view is way out of bounds.

[ETC Pat Kaschube]

I would agree that we should not be doing the credit check. That is a line I do not want to cross. My point is that it doesn't seem to be done when a member joins or during Basic Training. If an E3 wants to go to school that requires a security clearance though wouldn't it be acceptable to have the member run their own credit report? A command security officer would need to pipe in here but I would think that it would be a resonable request to then view that report prior to sending them off to A school. I just think that we could save the Coast Guard some money and time by making sure that the member can actually hold a security clearance before we spend all that money and time training them. This wouldn't prevent someone from letting their personal finances go to hell during the course of training but it would help the overall process.

[BMC Russell Miller]

? A command security officer would need to pipe in here but I would think that it would be a resonable request to then view that report prior to sending them off to A school. .


Pat,
I feel your pain, I hate to see a member get into money trouble, there is only so much we can do. As for someone other than SECCEN or pulling a credit report, not much any one other than the member can do. There are so many privcy issue at hand. Now about the only thing any of us can do is let the member know if there is something on his/hers report that does not look right or they have questons, tell you would be happy to review with then.

[OSC Chuck Owens]

The best thing is to lead them in the direction of doin thier own credit check and just keep on them to "take care of business"!! You can only do so much and you sure wont be writing checks for them to pay the bills!! If the coasty wants to blow off the chance to square things away................well thats when the admin side starts up to "motivate" the member into some other form of employment!!! If he/she cant take care of thier own personal business how can they ever take care of classified material or issues?!!

I know I am preaching to da choir!!

[ETC Pat Kaschube]

Rus, Chuck
Good points. I guess then that all that can be done by those the supervise the folks putting in for those schools is to educate them on the requirements to obtain and maintain a clearance, and to show them how to take a look at themselves financially.

[AMTCM John Long]

Pat,

Whenever I had a member (young and old) hitting a rough patch, I would send them to the Command/Unit/Sector Financial Advisor. It's free and can be eye opening for the member. It's a first step in stopping the bleeding.

John

[OSC HUGH D. ROSSER]

At the recruiting command, we are now running credit checks on all applicants before they can enlist. This should weed out most of the
applicants that aren't able to get a clearance.

[ETC Pat Kaschube]

At the recruiting command, we are now running credit checks on all applicants before they can enlist. This should weed out most of the
applicants that aren't able to get a clearance.


Awesome!!!