NationStates Jolt Archive

So it seems one of my former students has applied for a job with the FBI. My secretary called me today and gave me a phone number to call for a "recommendation"--at least, that's what my secretary called it.

When I reached the woman at the FBI, I introduced myself and said that I was calling about a recommendation for my student. She said, "It's not a recommendation, exactly. I just need to ask you a few questions."

Turns out this was really more of a background check than a recommendation. Some of the questions she asked:

1) Do you have any reason to doubt Mr. ____'s loyalty to the United States?
2) What can you tell me about the kind of people he knows socially?
3) To your knowledge, does he drink alcohol?
4) To your knowledge, does he use drugs?
5) Did he demonstrate any kind of prejudice or bias toward any group of people?

.... It was oddly exciting. When she asked about his loyalty, I laughed and told her that I am the sort of crazy liberal hippie she should be worried about, and if she asked my student he might be inclined to say, "I don't know about that Elric..." I told her that he and I disagreed frequently, but our debates were always highly intelligent and respectful--he may be conservative, but he's not prejudiced.

I wonder if I helped him or hurt him? She's probably digging through my FBI file right now. I wonder how far her jaw is dropping... ;)

The questions they asked you are fairly routine for anyone who is taking a job that requires a security clearance. About 20 years ago, I was interviewed by an FBI agent about a friend who was applying for a job at the Department of Defense, and got asked pretty much the same questions about him. Though I don't remember the "prejudice or bias" question; all they cared about was his loyalty and his lack of drug use.

So it seems one of my former students has applied for a job with the FBI. My secretary called me today and gave me a phone number to call for a "recommendation"--at least, that's what my secretary called it.

When I reached the woman at the FBI, I introduced myself and said that I was calling about a recommendation for my student. She said, "It's not a recommendation, exactly. I just need to ask you a few questions."

Turns out this was really more of a background check than a recommendation. Some of the questions she asked:

1) Do you have any reason to doubt Mr. ____'s loyalty to the United States?
2) What can you tell me about the kind of people he knows socially?
3) To your knowledge, does he drink alcohol?
4) To your knowledge, does he use drugs?
5) Did he demonstrate any kind of prejudice or bias toward any group of people?

.... It was oddly exciting. When she asked about his loyalty, I laughed and told her that I am the sort of crazy liberal hippie she should be worried about, and if she asked my student he might be inclined to say, "I don't know about that Elric..." I told her that he and I disagreed frequently, but our debates were always highly intelligent and respectful--he may be conservative, but he's not prejudiced.

I wonder if I helped him or hurt him? She's probably digging through my FBI file right now. I wonder how far her jaw is dropping... ;)I wonder how i would deal with such a call...

*feels incontrollable evil laughs taking over*

Pick a random NSer and answer those questions as if they are referring to him or her. :)

Good old fashioned security clearance questionnaire. I did it for one of my friends last year, so she could get a job at the DoD installation. What high level position was she seeking, you may ask? Civilian Payroll Accounting, if I recall correctly.

So it seems one of my former students has applied for a job with the FBI. My secretary called me today and gave me a phone number to call for a "recommendation"--at least, that's what my secretary called it.

When I reached the woman at the FBI, I introduced myself and said that I was calling about a recommendation for my student. She said, "It's not a recommendation, exactly. I just need to ask you a few questions."

Turns out this was really more of a background check than a recommendation. Some of the questions she asked:

1) Do you have any reason to doubt Mr. ____'s loyalty to the United States?
2) What can you tell me about the kind of people he knows socially?
3) To your knowledge, does he drink alcohol?
4) To your knowledge, does he use drugs?
5) Did he demonstrate any kind of prejudice or bias toward any group of people?

.... It was oddly exciting. When she asked about his loyalty, I laughed and told her that I am the sort of crazy liberal hippie she should be worried about, and if she asked my student he might be inclined to say, "I don't know about that Elric..." I told her that he and I disagreed frequently, but our debates were always highly intelligent and respectful--he may be conservative, but he's not prejudiced.

I wonder if I helped him or hurt him? She's probably digging through my FBI file right now. I wonder how far her jaw is dropping... ;)


Hehe damn man what if they are reading this right now!

*SNIP*


You fool! Now they have this address!

Well i've allegedly spoken too someone from Mi6, but I cannot confirm this for you.

What the hell is that loyalty bit supposed to mean? Do I like the United States? Yeah, but I definitely don't support every action it takes and I will stand up against it if it takes an action I really don't like, such as the Iraq War. Would that make me "unloyal"?

Good old fashioned security clearance questionnaire. I did it for one of my friends last year, so she could get a job at the DoD installation. What high level position was she seeking, you may ask? Civilian Payroll Accounting, if I recall correctly.

I've been offered MoD work that requires CTC clearance on the Atlas project.

I never took up the offers. Fuck that.

What the hell is that loyalty bit supposed to mean? Do I like the United States? Yeah, but I definitely don't support every action it takes and I will stand up against it if it takes an action I really don't like, such as the Iraq War. Would that make me "unloyal"?

Not being loyal to the United States is understood as being a very loose qualifier. Essentially, you won't enter into the service of another government to seek to harm the US, or undertake actions on your own of such a similar matter. Pretty much that you won't sell our secrets to other states or actors.

So you would be fine.

I got a similar call from the DoJ a couple years ago to ask me some questions about a friend of mine from high school. I had no idea he'd listed me as a reference, so I was very confused when they called me (not to mention groggy, since they called me first thing in the morning and I was still sleeping). I can't remember being asked any questions about his loyalty to the United States, though.

What the hell is that loyalty bit supposed to mean? Do I like the United States? Yeah, but I definitely don't support every action it takes and I will stand up against it if it takes an action I really don't like, such as the Iraq War. Would that make me "unloyal"?

I would assume it means more along the lines of defending the Constitution as opposed to defending government policy.

In fact, if government policy is deemed to be harming the Constitution, you would be expected to take action against it.

That would be my interpretation of 'loyalty'.

I would assume it means more along the lines of defending the Constitution as opposed to defending government policy.

In fact, if government policy is deemed to be harming the Constitution, you would be expected to take action against it.

That would be my interpretation of 'loyalty'.
Yeah, they don't really make the distinction between 'the country' and 'the government'.

Not being loyal to the United States is understood as being a very loose qualifier. Essentially, you won't enter into the service of another government to seek to harm the US, or undertake actions on your own of such a similar matter. Pretty much that you won't sell our secrets to other states or actors.

So you would be fine.
Oh, I get it. That makes sense.

I would assume it means more along the lines of defending the Constitution as opposed to defending government policy.

In fact, if government policy is deemed to be harming the Constitution, you would be expected to take action against it.

That would be my interpretation of 'loyalty'.

So would mine be, but that's just you and me. Andaluciae's explanation makes the most sense in terms of actual policy.

What the hell is that loyalty bit supposed to mean? Do I like the United States? Yeah, but I definitely don't support every action it takes and I will stand up against it if it takes an action I really don't like, such as the Iraq War. Would that make me "unloyal"?

Yes it does. Ask any one of the brainwashed neo-cons.

Not being loyal to the United States is understood as being a very loose qualifier. Essentially, you won't enter into the service of another government to seek to harm the US, or undertake actions on your own of such a similar matter. Pretty much that you won't sell our secrets to other states or actors.

So you would be fine.

I can actually give a concrete example of what they mean. A friend of mine used to be an aircraft mechanic for the U.S. Navy. When he left the Navy for civilian life, he was contacted by the government of Iran (or at least by someone who claimed to represent them), and was offered a very large sum of money if he would move to Iran and service the aircraft of the Iranian military - purely as a civilian contractor, of course, but he nonetheless would have been in the service of a foreign government that was (and still is) considered hostile to the US. Despite this hostility, a lot of Iran's air force equipment is of US manufacture, purchased by the Shah's government before the revolution. And they find it understandably difficult to find highly-trained service technicians. So I'm told that a lot of ex-servicemen get these kinds of offers if they have certain skills. Thus, the US government doesn't want to train people in those skills if they're going to turn around and put those skills at the disposal of a hostile government.

Incidentally, my friend turned the offer down flat. Loyalty aside, he said, there wasn't enough money to overcome what he called "quality of life issues". Or, as I reminded him, possible quantity of life issues. :D

Essentially, you won't enter into the service of another government to seek to harm the US, or undertake actions on your own of such a similar matter. Pretty much that you won't sell our secrets to other states or actors.

For any reason...

Did they remember to tell you the bit about the fact that the applicant has the right to review your responses?

(Also, as I recall they don't ask if the person uses alcohol, but rather if they have a drinking problem.)

What the hell is that loyalty bit supposed to mean? Do I like the United States? Yeah, but I definitely don't support every action it takes and I will stand up against it if it takes an action I really don't like, such as the Iraq War. Would that make me "unloyal"?
The questions that I see are more specific. Do you belong to any organization that advocates the violent overthrow of the United States? I'm sure answering yes to that question would raise the loyalty question. Otherwise, I think you're okay.

Hold on...

You HAVE an FBI file?

Hold on...

You HAVE an FBI file?

Everyone has an FBI file.

5) Did he demonstrate any kind of prejudice or bias toward any group of people?


In case you're wondering, the correct answer is "yes".

:D

Everyone has an FBI file.

Yeah. I realized that after I hit "submit reply". Maybe a better question would've been "You HAVE a JAW DROPPING FBI file?"

You HAVE an FBI file?Everyone has an FBI file.mine is bigger than yours.:D
http://right-thoughts.us/images/uploads/nelson-haha.gif

I heard that if you write to the FBI with a letter asking them to send you the records they have on you, they'll send a letter back saying they do not have a record on you.

And then if you write to them again, they'll send you the letter you sent to them asking to see your records.

Is this true?

My mom almost applied for the FBI...or maybe she did.

Not the FBI, but one of my classmates from University got a job with the CIA, and the CIA sent like 5 guys in suits to the Philosophy department for 3 days talking to all sorts of people.