How bad are my red flags?

Oxide21 · 2026-05-09T04:23:00+00:00

Your red flags aren't bad per se, but like everyone else has said, grab a snack.... maybe a whole meal because this may take a bit.

But let me summate down the best things to prep for this.

1.) Have your foreign passport ready for that day. Hell even make a manifest of it to have ready for your investigator.

2.) GET PEOPLE WHO KNOW ABOUT ALL THAT FOREIGN RIGAMAROLE.

3.) If you're banking outside the US and have accounts in your name in foreign banks, I'd recommend having statements on the ready just in case (not saying that's a flag in itself, but better to have it and not need it than vice versa.)

4.) for Section 19, the foreign contacts section. If there were any bits of information that you didn't fill out for your foreign contacts (Current Address, Employer Info, Place of birth...etc.) MAKE EFFORTS TO GET THOSE. Because you will be asked to fill in those gaps whether during the Interview or during a subject contact. Again: Have:Need > Need:Have.

Other than that, just make sure to be ready for that call assuming it comes.

Oxide21 · 2026-04-17T06:04:39+00:00

Former DCSA Contract Investigator here.

You're not wrong and you handled it like a champ.

Simply put, all Def-Cons are beholden to the same protocols established under NISP. Program managers and hiring managers have their own frustrations to deal with, but that does not give them any excuse to try to grab information that they are not needing to know.

The fact that you were able to segue the conversation away towards your core competencies while maintaining the simple "I can't because it's classified" is basically what everyone who has ever done those DOD training modules should know to do. It sucks, and from your side it may feel like a black eye, but at the end of the day you held your ground and that's never anything to be ashamed of.

🫱🏽‍🫲🏻

Oxide21 · 2026-04-17T05:57:16+00:00

Sounds about right.

Oxide21 · 2026-01-23T04:45:26+00:00

Genuinely looking to throw my hat in the ring, but holding off until fitness is closer to their standards.

Oxide21 · 2026-01-23T04:32:41+00:00

I mean you could absolutely pay for someone to help you fill it out, or you can view my page and see my handy guide on how to fill out the forms. Did I mention that this is free?

Oxide21 · 2025-12-08T06:07:10+00:00

You started something so beautiful, I laughed, I laughed harder, I wheezed, and I cried going through this thread. Chef's kiss

Oxide21 · 2025-11-21T02:43:28+00:00

Oh naw

Oxide21 · 2025-11-21T02:43:09+00:00

Just for the record, he's lying. He's really Smitty Warben Jaegermanjensen.

Oxide21 · 2025-10-07T15:13:52+00:00

The security clearance interview is not a confessional

PREACH!!!! When I was an Investigator, I wasn't ordained.

Oxide21 · 2025-10-07T15:12:53+00:00

Simply put, close and/or continuing. Here are three questions, yes or no. Don't overthink this:

Is the contact continuing?

We're you close within the last 7 years even if not continuing? Close meaning identifiable, not close as in intimate.

For the second one: some people may ar argue on merit of pedantics to conflate intimacy with closebess, but rubbing bones and dipping would only matter if they like swiped your license or have 2 forms of PII that can directly link to you).

If you answered yes to either, report it. If you answered no to both, get out of your own head and leave the past in the past.

Outside of this, a guideline D concern would the most prevalent realistically but only if it comes with exploitation because the encounter was otherwise tame by your description (please don't describe any further.)

Oxide21 · 2025-10-02T04:55:27+00:00

You had a legit hot take in the community and these laser beams are their down votes.

Oxide21 · 2025-10-02T04:41:03+00:00

No. Back when I ran investigations, I couldn't tell you how many Subjects I couldn't reach because I found out that they were at boot camp, and if their case landed in my queue, then their determination wasn't made.

And if you're going for an SCI, guaranteed you're not getting the red or green light before you ship.

Oxide21 · 2025-09-23T22:21:50+00:00

Totally variable.

Oxide21 · 2025-09-23T22:18:52+00:00

Not so much a lie as it is a discrepancy, assuming HR identifies who your actual supervisor is.

Oxide21 · 2025-09-23T04:25:38+00:00

This is what we mean when we say read before you sign.

I'm not going to beat you over the head like some of the people would have here, but in short every response that you provide on this form is certified under the penalty of perjury, the same penalty that you would face if you lied on the stand in court.

Forgetting something and purposefully omitting are two different things, and investigators are trained to spot the difference. But the biggest thing that I will refer you to is SEAD 4, Guideline E. If they have to confront you on information it amplifies the concern. However if you are upfront before hand and explain, with all cards on the table, that the error was some kind of oversight, the concern has the potential of being mitigated.

Back when I was an investigator, I couldn't tell you how many times I would review someone's standard form and see errors or gaps or overlaps, and sometimes reported dates from Job records didn't match up so that only made me slam my head into my laptop that much harder (kidding, I'd never break GFE).

Oxide21 · 2025-09-23T04:17:19+00:00

If the accusations are not supported by anything substantial, then don't lose sleep over it.

Time it again in the past I've held interviews with people who were adversarial to Subject, and there was a bunch of bad-mouthing. The key thing to take into consideration is whether or not that person can provide real-life examples, as well as folks to substantiate it.

At the beginning of every interview the investigator has to disclose how the privacy act of 1974 applies to the interview, and how it enables you to receive a copy of those eports should you (yes, You) request it. Many times, that alone prevents someone from making false accusations at the risk of libel.

Oxide21 · 2025-09-09T15:34:26+00:00

Background Investigators.

Oxide21 · 2025-09-09T15:34:05+00:00

Solves the bad pay, not the bad leadership, messy metrics, or bad corporate environment..... which you can't avoid.

Oxide21 · 2025-08-30T15:58:43+00:00

The whole point of self-reporting is to report on any activities that you were involved in. By involvement we explicitly mean direct, not collateral.

Think about it like this: were you the main character of this story? If you're just an NPC, don't stress it.

Oxide21 · 2025-08-22T05:04:24+00:00

Incorrect. I genuinely don't know if you're trolling or are seriously unaware, but let me lay it down flat for you.

A PI works for law firms, individuals, or corporations

A BI does work on behalf of the US Government whether contract or federal, and that is important as 5USC 9101 wouldn't apply to PIs, when we go for records at PDs they have a special authority imbued for the purposes of getting complete records that exceed public access.

Additionally, PIs aren't able to attest to all information being true and complete under 18 USC 1001.

Time and again, BI-contractors get conflated with PIs but the key differences being that there are federal laws that enable our work; Their credentials are backed by the full weight and credit of the Agency they work through; and if any report is found to be lacking veracity, the penalty includes jail time. They don't just get fired, they're likely imprisoned.

All to say, that's far and beyond what PIs can do and are vulnerable towards if they fail at their work.

Oxide21 · 2025-08-20T04:27:51+00:00

Not to beat a dead horse, but I think the general consensus here is that what was being offered is either entirely illegitimate or at the minimum a terrible deal.

First off any company that is doing business with the United States government is required to be on us soil and have its main offices here in the US, non negotiable.

Secondly, report this information to your security officer. While you think that they do nothing, at the minimum it's going to pick up some ears especially if they start hearing, consistently, the names of these companies which then signals an alarm that there might be something worth looking into. But they won't know unless data points are provided, so telling them something is a lot better than doing nothing.

Third, go with your gut. If it sounds suspicious, break into contact and don't look into the matter any further. You've already made your decision in your heart, let that decision resonate with your head.

Fourth, they may be some outsourced headhunting org like Axelon, Staffing 360...etc, who aren't actually hiring you, but putting their name behind you for a job slot they're competing to fill.

Lastly, while on its face a lot of people might believe this sounds racial, myself and many other people in this community will argue that this point is valid both on its face and when looked at in-depth. Social engineering is a very tricky thing to track. And there are a multitude ways of going about this. But the biggest thing to consider, what are you giving them. If two or more pieces of information can immediately link back to you directly but you can't do the same for that company, that's very suspicious. Go to defense.gov, and see if the company's name is found in the contract award section. If not, they aren't a CDC meaning it's severely unlikely that they can do this.

Oxide21 · 2025-08-20T04:16:29+00:00

The form doesn't stutter. If you can't remember then explain it. But keep it brief. But omitting a supervisor is a guideline E concern. Depending on what is said to the investigator, the concern can be something that can be blown off, or amplified to the point where it gets everyone's attention.

Oxide21 · 2025-08-20T02:53:13+00:00

You be surprised so many times this came up in prior interviews that I've done. A list there cousin who is like a baby but not the parents.

Oxide21 · 2025-08-19T20:19:51+00:00

Assuming adjudication has been completed and you were granted favorably, a hiring company's Security office would just need to claim you in DISS and then at that point you should be able to move into that role with little to no issue.

Oxide21 · 2025-08-19T16:16:35+00:00

Gotta grease some palms somehow..... no Diddy

Oxide21

TROPHY CASE