All Military Personnel Past and Present Pls Read - Future Soldier

Hi thanks for reading. I have recently decided to join the army. I am just wondering if anyone with experience and direct insight into the enlistment process can tell me more about getting a 'secret' level security clearance. What do they check and how does the process play out? I am concerned because I would like to keep from disclosing my medical records to them. I heard that I could claim I have no health insurance + no general physician + no hospitalizations, thereby providing them little to no information regarding my medical history to investigate.

Also, what in general should I know before signing that contract? Like what is it that I should be wary of confirming, things that a new recruit may be naive to.

I'm looking forward to your replies

reply to post by asperetty


They check medical records for a reason. If you have an underlying condition that could affect you or someone in your unit, then that needs to be out in he open.

As for security clearence? Depends on the job.

Are you sure you want to join?

A top secret security clearance is surprisingly easy to get. My Bro got one and he has done drugs and shoplifting before he joined. Just tell them "most" of the truth and let the chips fall where they may. Don't join if you can't get what you want though. The recruiter will lie to you and tell you "Oh, don't worry, after a few years in the service you can reapply and they'll grant you the security clearance since you've shown you are trustworthy." That's a lie.

By the way, don't admit to EVER taking any drugs for any mental reasons at all ever. Not even marijuana or alcohol. You can say you drank once and didn't like it.

reply to post by asperetty


I had a secret clearance. The way your are talking sounds bad to me. What makes you want to join the Army? What issues have you had? Hospitalization?

How I got it (which really doesn't mean anything)
I scored 98 percentile on the ASVAB test. In fact I didn't even have an option to do infantry.
I also had ZERO records of any kind.

I did 14E Patriot Missile Fire Control Operator/Maintainer... Never got deployed..

You could wait a bit... No rush.. Your focus on a clearance makes me question your goals. That's just for you, and the people you may be responsible for in combat.

I told my recruiters EVERYTHING.. They pretended to be buddy buddy sometimes And I called em on it, and schooled them on what ever they would say. (They WILL lie) Still I didn't join the Army for the false promises.

reply to post by asperetty

This is just a wild guess, but might you have spent some time getting mental health treatment? (No, don't answer that here.)

If you're going into the Army, you may see combat. I've heard rumors here and there that some people find combat stressful. That stress can affect your thoughts. A lot of guys who went in as clean as could be came out with severe mental problems. If someone started with a little difficulty with their brain chemistry, I think the results would be very bad.

(For that matter, even basic is stressful.) I wish you well.

I have little to add, except that it seems like you have an ulterior motive.

Let me put it this way: A security clearance may not be what you think it is. It's not a key to all the information you might think you want. It will get you only the information that you are required to have to do the job that you are told to do....

reply to post by Ex_CT2



exactly.. It's all pretty boring really... It's info you have to learn like in school, except you are not allowed to talk about it. There isn't really anything fun in the Army except the people who have to suffer through it with you, and they're priceless.. But besides that...

Sir yes Sir.

As many have already stated. Having a security clearance is not very exciting. It's compartmentalized, you will only have access to what you need to do your job.
For the most part, they don't really care what trouble you have gotten up to. They just want to make sure you're honest. As long as you haven't been convicted of murder or got caught smuggling guns and drugs across the country, you will be OK. I assure you, I have been in an incredible amount of trouble. I am an Arch-Villain after all.

Just be honest, if there is a record of it somewhere, they will find it anyway.

Don't do it dude !

2nd

Originally posted by asperetty
Hi thanks for reading. I have recently decided to join the army. I am just wondering if anyone with experience and direct insight into the enlistment process can tell me more about getting a 'secret' level security clearance. What do they check and how does the process play out? I am concerned because I would like to keep from disclosing my medical records to them. I heard that I could claim I have no health insurance + no general physician + no hospitalizations, thereby providing them little to no information regarding my medical history to investigate.

Also, what in general should I know before signing that contract? Like what is it that I should be wary of confirming, things that a new recruit may be naive to.

I'm looking forward to your replies

First of all, if you are signing a contract that requires a security clearance, whatever you are trying to hide, they will find it, everything from bounced checks to medical. So whoever told you that did not know what they were talking about.

When you fill out the EPSQ, it is pretty much a litimus test on your honesty. I've seen guys get TS-SCI, even though they had been busted for check fraud earlier in their life. Oh yea, they had to jump thru hoops to prove that they had learnt their lesson, but they still got it.

I always liked the idea behind, "Don't ask, Don't tell." Not just in the context of Homosexuality, but also religion or lack of it, Political leanings, etc.

It is a major lifestyle change as well.

I've recently retired and always recommend against enlisting in the Army to most people (I'm former Army, so I know what I'm talking about). I usually recommend the USAF or Coast Guard as they have better programs in place to take the skills you learned in the service back into the civilian world.

What MOS are you thinking about?

reply to post by Socrato


I admitted that I was a experimental addict when I joined. Of course I was being a smart ass, but they never called me on it and I still got my clearance(s).

Maybe the screeners got my sense of humor.

Word to the wise. (Hint, hint, ) *Stomping foot on the floor*

You will be given a P-test on a regular basis.

DO NOT STUDY FOR THIS TEST!

Originally posted by TDawgRex

First of all, if you are signing a contract that requires a security clearance, whatever you are trying to hide, they will find it, everything from bounced checks to medical. So whoever told you that did not know what they were talking about.

When you fill out the EPSQ, it is pretty much a litimus test on your honesty. I've seen guys get TS-SCI, even though they had been busted for check fraud earlier in their life. Oh yea, they had to jump thru hoops to prove that they had learnt their lesson, but they still got it.

I always liked the idea behind, "Don't ask, Don't tell." Not just in the context of Homosexuality, but also religion or lack of it, Political leanings, etc.

It is a major lifestyle change as well.

I've recently retired and always recommend against enlisting in the Army to most people (I'm former Army, so I know what I'm talking about). I usually recommend the USAF or Coast Guard as they have better programs in place to take the skills you learned in the service back into the civilian world.

What MOS are you thinking about?

Thanks for your input. Im looking into 15q, 36b, 21m, 27d, and 46q. possible 21y as well depending on my gf's patience.

to answer most people's concerns, yes I want to hide the fact that I sought treatment from a psychiatrist this year. It was short lived, only took the meds for a month. REcruiters tell me any recent history of depression is less likely to be waived in todays military. not to mention the fact that if they were to review the doctor's notes on my record that they would find info regarding previous drug use.

so please, this is my conundrum. Im not a bad, weak, or dumb person. Im very qualified mentally, physically, and technically. 94 on the asvab grants me a lot of opportunities. i would like to take advantage of that.

I have two questions for you all, and that is is that if i keep my med records a secret, is it really plausible they could discover those without me or anyone else telling them that they exist? I had in mind to visit a random doctor at a random clinic to get a simple diagnosis for meps when I visit as I have a visible but benign "anomaly" that the meps docs will surely want an explanation for. I would like to give them that explanation but not the rest of my history. so thats why i am thinking to just begin a new record with a new doc and keep everything else under the rug.

also, i really am interested in learning the process for obtaining a secret clearance. I dont care about what I have access to. I care about what they can and will investigate. I ask because some jobs I want at entry level require secret clearance and because eventually I will need to be screened.

I will tell you how I got my secret clearance. Its strange to say the least and nobody in my unit has any answers I even told a 1star General and he thoought it wwas odd

I scored a 97 on my ASVAB and I still chose infantry. The drill sgts used to bust on me all the time about it, they would say " you scored a 97, you must think you are smart. you scored a 97 any yu still went infantry, you are the dumbest blank I've ever met"

First off it doesn't matter if you want a clearance or not you will only get one if your job requires it, you have no choice. It will take up to 2-3 years to get it but if its mission crucial you can get a Interim clearance, which is like a temporary clearance until you get your secret clearance.

They check everthing about you. They even talked to my highschool teachers, neighbors, friends,ex girlfriends, and employers. So they will probably find your medical history.

Ok so I went National guard first. A year after basic and infantry school and being with my unit for about a year I went to pull into my drive way and I seen a tan ford taurus with government tags in my driveway. Scince this is in mississippi I always had a handgun in my car(its legal their even without a permit) so I got out with my glock tucked under my arm. I walk up to this car and a guy in a suit gets out out telling me to drop my weapon . I said that ain't gonna happen(it was still tucked under my arm and not pointed at himat all) isaid who are you and what do you want. He said he is FBI and he needs to talk to me. I said I think you want the person accross the street( they tried to rob a bank) he said no I'm here to do you secret clearance.

I said that's bs I'm only a infantry grunt and I'm a pfc I don't need one, nobody in my unit except the LT and Company comander has a clearance. He said that ft.hood requested my clearance. I never been to ft.hood nor am I ever going to. So now I am thinking he's trying to get info outa me or identity theft. So I tell him to call my unit and tell them. He does they tell him I don't need a clearance. So he says this must be a mistake and he left.

About 10min later I hear knocking on the door while I'm in the shower. Its him again he says that his boss told I need to get a clearance. I call my unit and tell them, they said that guy is a pain and just do it, it will only help to have a clearance. I have him come in and I told him I don't trust you cause this is kinda odd so this glock is always going to be within arms disatance, he laughed and agreed and said that's fine since we are in your house. Wich really got me thinking because no law enforcment would agree to that.

Anyway he opened this folder and all I see is everything about me, even a fine a got from school for parking against the curb,lol... so if he wanted to steal my idenity he has more then enough already. He said it really doesn't matter what you have done it matters how truthfully you answer my questions so he ask me a bunch of strange questions and I answerd truthfully. Like one was if someone offerd me money for information would I do it, I said depends on how much money and laughed. After everything he said thank you shook my hand and just left.

He said they started my clearance proccess over a year ago, the interview was one of the last steps. I finally about a year later was told by my commander that I have my secret clearance and he said I am the only person in my unit that has a secret clearance besides him and the Lt. Which he thought was odd so he always joked about me working for pentigon or I'm being transfered to area 51.lol

When I was in back in the 90's, everyone held a secret clearance out of AIT, was no big deal...
I was a supply specialist and food service and held a secret clearance...lol

reply to post by asperetty


Yep, you seem to have chosen wisely concerning the MOS's that you have picked. All are applicable in the real world.

One thing though is with the exception of the Engineer and Aviation series MOS's the promotion potential is quite constrained once you get to E-5 (SGT). The other two peak at E-6 (SSG).

I'm saying this if you are thinking about making it a career, but decision is best left for your last year of enlistment.

I would also recommend that you continue to go to school while enlisted. Not only does it help your promotion potential, but it will also benefit you on the outside as well, all the while keeping you away from the Party Animals that inhabit the military. (Who will call you a friend one moment and throw you under the bus the next to save their own career)