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

A recent Defense Office of Hearing and Appeals cases involving the misuse of information technology caught my eye because the applicant argued his former employer’s investigation had no merit because he had never been investigated by any law enforcement agency or charged with any offense, therefore it was not really

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Background Investigations

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) released a new Federal Investigative Notice (FIN) for revised pricing on investigative products and services for Fiscal Year 2022, which starts October 1, 2021. Notably, pricing for background investigation products for Tiers 1 through 5 were reduced by three percent compared to previously

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Security Clearance Denial

Isolated instances of not following rules or protocol when taken by themselves are usually not a concern when it comes to determining eligibility for access to classified national security information. However, when a pattern of rule-breaking starts to emerge it is an indication of a deeper psychological issue when the

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Security Clearance Denial

Having been in the military myself, I know it takes quite a bit to get kicked out for misconduct. Commanders give their troops every available option to rehabilitate behavioral issues before resorting to discharge proceedings. A DoD contractor security clearance applicant, also former marine, was denied eligibility for a clearance

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