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

There is a common misperception among security clearance applicants regarding the requirement to disclose or resolve charged off debts. Many believe when creditors charge off a debt then they are no longer indebted. Not true! Here is a simple definition of the term: a charge-off is a debt that a

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Obtaining Security Clearance

Imagine this scenario: you just graduated college and are offered a job that requires eligibility for a security clearance. You fill out the SF-86 and for fear of not getting the job offer, omit the fact that you used marijuana and misused prescription drugs a few times while in college.

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Security Clearance Denial

You would think that a person who won $100,000 in a lottery would use that money to pay off any outstanding debts and still have a little left over, right? A recent Defense Office of Hearing and Appeals (DOHA) case showed that is not necessarily the case. A contractor was

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Security Clearance Jobs

The Government Reform Plan laid out by the White House and the Office of Management and Budget in March 2017 directed the Government to reform and become more efficient, effective, and accountable. The President’s Management Agenda (PMA) outlined Cross-Agency Priority (CAP) goals in key areas with a timeline for implementation.

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