Author Archive

Marko Hakamaa

Marko Hakamaa served in various military police positions with the United States Army worldwide for 22 years before retiring in 2006 as a Master Sergeant. Afterwards, he transitioned into the civilian workforce as a contractor background investigator for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) before entering civil service as a Security Specialist in 2009.

Background InvestigationsSecurity Clearance Process

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Most security clearance applications that are rejected by the Defense Industrial Security Clearance Office (DISCO) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) are due to missing or incomplete information. Applicants can help expedite the clearance process by ensuring their application is filled out completely and accurately with current phone numbers, addresses, and

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Obtaining Security Clearance

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A recent news story from New Mexico highlights the seriousness of conduct that is directed towards law enforcement officials. According to an article filed by Reuters, Yolanda Arguello, a kitchen employee working as a contractor for the New Mexico Department of Corrections licked the cheese on sandwiches and sucked on ice

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Obtaining Security Clearance

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When discussing security clearances and one’s responsibilities, most associate it with handling and protecting classified national security information. However, often overlooked is the fact that handling and preventing unauthorized disclosure of other types of protected information is just as important.  These may include: For Official Use Only; Sensitive But Unclassified;

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Security Clearance Process

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In a continuing series of reports on the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) lack of oversight concerning investigative service contractors, the latest reports paint a bleak picture for OPM’s ability to oversee the quality of work provided by the contractor investigation companies that complete the majority of background investigations for OPM. 

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