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.

AdjudicationBackground InvestigationsSecurity Clearance Process

The Defense Counterintelligence Agency (DCSA) provided notification to Industry and Government Stakeholders that because of the lapse on appropriated funding and the government shutdown, it cannot approve/authorize the submission of background investigations that were not scheduled prior to October 1st. Investigations that were in progress prior to the lapse in

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Background Investigations

Almost weekly I get an inquiry from someone who was contacted by a background investigator via text or email for an interview. They usually ask me if it is legit or if it is some phishing attempt to get personal information. I tell them “Yes, investigators conducting personnel security or

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Security Clearance Process

Paying your mortgage and monthly bills using credit cards is a recipe for disaster, especially if you are only making the minimum required payments. The interest rates alone will cause the debts to snowball out of control. This happened to a security clearance applicant who had his clearance eligibility denied

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Background Investigations

Background investigators go through a lot of hoops to be certified to conduct federal background investigations. First, they must undergo the Top-Secret security clearance process, then attend and pass the field investigator training course. Once those are completed, they receive their badges and system accesses, then hit the street, learning

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