Security Clearance Update

As promised:

After returning on Monday from a two-week trip to Korea for my brother-in-law's wedding, I called Diplomatic Security again today and was told that, on Thursday Nov. 6, the U.S. government had granted me a Top Secret security clearance. Apparently, this is the highest level of security clearance the government has, but that does not mean I have the same access to information as a CIA director or somebody, since all secret and top secret information is available to anyone only on a need-to-know basis. So the thing is, if the government decides that my job needs me to know something classified, it is now legal for somebody to tell me about it, probably with certain restrictions on the manner of the communication and so forth. Since I don't even have the job yet, I'm not being entrusted with the launch codes just at present.

I found one Web site that says something on the order of 3 million individuals have a security clearance at any given moment. That would be about 1% of the national population. Most of those are military or people working for defense contractors. Top Secret clearance remains active for five years, at which point it has to be renewed with another investigation.

You know, it does feels a bit ironic that my immediate reaction to this news is to run over and throw it up on the Internet. Like maybe I should start practicing being secretive by not telling you that I got my clearance. But I was not told that the clearance itself is a secret, so I guess I can talk about it.

Here's a quick overview of the various steps or hurdles to get past:

Completed:
1. Register for the Foreign Service Officer Test: done, Oct. 2007
2. Take the FSOT: done, Dec. 6 2007
(3. Pass a "Qualifications Evaluation Panel" who review test results and background information and select a predetermined percentage to go on to the next step: passed, March 2008)
4. Take the Foreign Service Oral Assessment: passed, Apr. 15 2008 (you get your results at the end of the day)
5. Obtain medical clearance to travel worldwide: done, Jun. 13 2008
(6. Obtain top secret security clearance: done, November 6, 2008)

Pending:
(7. Pass a "Final Suitability Review" which looks at the test, interview, background, security and medical information and makes a final judgment that the candidate is an appropriate fit for the Department) - at this point one is added to the "register"
8. OPTIONAL: Pass a foreign language exam (via phone) to jump to a higher position on the register
(9. Receive offer to join an incoming class of new Foreign Service Officers)

So as you see, in my case the process has been going on so far for exactly a year, a month, a week and a day, and six of the nine discrete hurdles are behind us!