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.

Security Clearance Denial

Every once in a while, I run across a security clearance appeals casewhere I ask myself did this really happen? There are some people outthere with mental disorders that impact their ability to thinkstraight when under stress, causing bizarre or abnormal behavior. Ifound a recent Department of Energy security clearance

Read More
Security Clearance Denial

Security clearance holders all go through an indoctrination briefingthat includes proper handling and storage of classified or protectedinformation. They also get an annual refresher training. Unfortunately,some people find it difficult remembering information like safecombinations and personal identification numbers (PIN) for access toclassified IT networks. A defense contractor recently had hisclearance

Read More
Background Investigations

As many on this site have said for security clearance applicants, it is better to tell all then try to hide stuff and hope no one finds out. Many times, the information you are trying to hide can be mitigated, but the fact that you lied about it can’t. That

Read More
Obtaining Security Clearance

It is quite extraordinary to think someone who was charged with murdercan get a security clearance, but occasionally I run across an appealscase involving just that. In this particular case, the applicant, whois now 33 years old, was charged with murder and concealing the deathof another when she was 20

Read More