Associations, Gangs and Security Clearances

A security clearance is about evaluating an applicant's reliability and trustworthiness based on a specific set of adjudicative guidelines. While the process may seem as clear as mud (and we've politely referred to it as pirate's code ourselves), a simple read of the adjudicative guidelines is in every clearance holder or applicant's best interest. Many clearance denials catch and individual by surprise when they shouldn't.One of the more obscure aspects of the clearance process is associations. Section 29 of the SF-86 specifically asks about associations. "Have you EVER been a member of an organization dedicated to the use of violence or force to overthrow the United States Government, and which engaged in activities to that end with an awareness of the organization's dedication to that end or with the specific intent to further such activities?" The form further asks if the applicant has been a part of an organization that advocates violence to discourage others from exercising their rights.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.