List of security clearances

Originally posted by sparky8580
Where is the clearance level of Cosmic?

One day I read somewhere online that there was this level, highest known that I could find.

I believe Cosmic is a NATO clearance.

reply to post by Trexter Ziam


Isn't Cosmic NATO?

reply to post by Cosmic911


All I can say is there are other entities that use it. It very well may be for NATO related material though.

reply to post by Trexter Ziam


Gotcha! Thanks for the clarification.

Different agencies have different clearances. For example, a DoD Secret can not be used on a ATF contract, and the ATF public trust is the investigation equivalent to a DoD TS.

All in all, Ive worked with various levels of cleared people, worked in cleared facilities, held various clearances and I have yet to meet a alien :p

Interesting thread.

Here's a video related to this topic and of course one of my favorite other topics:

Originally posted by GoddessEve
Different agencies have different clearances. For example, a DoD Secret can not be used on a ATF contract

Agencies generally must reciprocate each other's clearances. See EO 13467. A DOD Secret will satisfy the security requirements of an ATF Secret position, but it may not satisfy the suitability requirements. Suitability is different than a clearance, though.

and the ATF public trust is the investigation equivalent to a DoD TS.

The highest level public trust investigation, the BI, comes fairly close. But it does not confer eligibility for access to classified information or sensitive positions. (Unless it is done on an SF-86, which only confers Secret eligibility. See FIN 12-01.)

Suitability is different, but I know through career experience that a DoD Secret will NOT satisfy ATF investigations. Customs & Border Patrol also require a CBT clearance with different levels (Secret, TS, etc) that don't acknowledge a DoD clearance

Its actually a very heavily financially draining process and agencies lose MILLIONS a year having to cross investigate because they don't acknowledge other agencies clearances or because their requirements are vastly different. Any cleared individual who has touched multiple cleared projects working with multiple agencies will back this up. Its a very costly and time consuming process, and I almost wrote my masters thesis on the amount of waste that is being overlooked b/c agencies won't accept each others clearances

To use a example, You can hold a Secret clearance with the State Dept AND also a Secret with DoD

Different agencies with different investigation requirements, and they won't even acknowledge each others paperwork nevertheless each others clearances. That means explaining your life away to a investigator, having your friends and family called, records searched with each investigation.

What you experienced is not the norm. Reciprocation is. In fact, in most cases it is required by law. Title III of the IRTPA requires the government to ensure reciprocation of security clearances, and EO 13467 charges the DNI with that responsibility. There has since been a big push by OPM and the ODNI to get everyone on the same page. There is one set of security investigative products, and they are mutually reciprocated throughout the government. Agencies can establish additional requirements for assignment, detail, or access to SAPs, but collateral and SCI eligibility determinations are generally reciprocated.

It is the norm and it happens everyday. And any cleared individual will confirm it.

reply to post by drunk


One way to get flag for follow up.

I agree 100%.

Just writing those down like that and I would wonder why this person knows this and what else they might know.

D D D as carlos mancia says.


Just saying...

I know when I was in the Air Force my clearance was Top Secret SCI 1/14. Anyone know what the numbers mean? I know you can only hold a TS for five years before they redo the investigation and 10 years for a Secret clearance. I just never knew what the numbers stood for. I did In-flight refueling by the way...

Originally posted by ilovepizza
What computer program would be so secret that only 3 people can access it in the world? I know you were just using it as an example but would something really be that secret that only 3 people could access it?

Maybe not so secret but powerfull....for example, did you hear about the federal "internet kill switch"?

sec.line

Originally posted by GoddessEve
It is the norm and it happens everyday. And any cleared individual will confirm it.

I don't know what "any cleared individual" knows or thinks they know. Having a clearance doesn't mean you know anything about personnel security, it just means you filled out an SF-86 without making any major mistakes. Anyway, I think I've already provided references to the IRTPA and the relevant executive orders and FINs. If you choose not to believe them, that's okay, you can believe whatever you want. You may also want to disbelieve a pair of policy memos issued by the OMB during the Bush administration. These memos outline the limited set of circumstances in which agencies may decline to reciprocate security clearances. (There is a much more concise memo somewhere, but I cannot find it on the internet.)

georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov...
georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov...

So that's statutory law, executive order, OMB policy, OPM policy, and ODNI policy, all mandating reciprocity except in exceptional circumstances. How are all these agencies getting away with breaking the law and regulation every day?

Originally posted by boomer135
I know when I was in the Air Force my clearance was Top Secret SCI 1/14. Anyone know what the numbers mean?

It refers to DCID 1/14, the old directive governing access to SCI. It is now ICD 704 and the ICPG 704 series.

I have seen Rhyolite called a stone, and a satellite spy program in these discussions on many posts involving Phil's security clearance. I have not seen mention of the ghost town in Nevada not much more than 100 miles from the location deemed Area 51 and Groom Lake, this ruin of a town in also known as Rhyolite and is known for a mining project. I am wondering what is the reason this place does not seem to be considered or the possibility that some things said by Phil could have been coded. I have seen it said that he was secretive about many things involving locations of entrances to many places he brought up. Is his public work to be taken at face value or should we look through things he said for other meanings? Has this ever been discussed? Perhaps, if he said more directed informations his demise would have come earlier. If anyone in a position which he claims were speaking in whole truths, what would have stopped "Them" from hurting his family to contain him, or just dropping him earlier? If there is truth to what he spoke completely he would not have lasted a day after the first. The smartest thing to do would be to hide information in the context or mass publish it all quickly and go into hiding. Since he was not the hiding sort, I would lean towards half truths with enough fairy dust so "They" would let him be until "They" caught on.

reply to post by pyxsul


Link a source, I don't fully believe someone who just blatantly claims something and does not site a source.

reply to post by StarChild


Im sure you know this already but the SF86 has been digitized and I believe is the only it can be filled out now. i made several copies of mine before they did this, which are locked up so i can refer to them when i have to fill it out again

reply to post by Ghost01


Most backround investigations that are conducted are done by private contractors. Defense Security Service primarily handles dignatary protection for DOS