• dislocate_expansionB
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    28
    ·
    7 months ago

    All US military branches require strict background checks and a detailed written response for anything “questionable”. If they’re alluding someone dropped the ball, why not on his superiors?

    Is suicide a crime?

        • Secret adds an interview with questions pertaining to different things that could be used for extortion and a credit check. It boils down to a few things: are you a perverted removed; are you in the kind of debt where someone says they’ve got a job for you; and are you involved with any far right or left anti US government groups.

          TS SCI adds a more extensive interview, fingerprint registry with the FBI, and multiple character interviews with people who’ve known you for a long time. Depending on the SCI compartment and or the resources available, you will eventually get a polygraph as well. The people who get interviewed also have their records run, and it’s used to sus out if the affor mentioned interview concerns. They also check watch lists for your name and the names of your character witnesses.

          All that is to say, none of this work checks your mental health, any of the nuance of your political beliefs, and doesn’t touch on your personal convictions. The security clearance system just isn’t meant to to consider this.

    • D61 [any]@hexbear.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      23
      ·
      7 months ago

      “Strict” is doing a whole lot of heavy lifting here. Nobody cares/knows if you read “The Conquest of Bread” once or a book of MLK’s writings.

      His superiors aren’t the ones doing background checks, that happens during enlistment. Once you’re in a unit, unless your superiors actively think you’re up to something (or want a reason to chapter you out of the military) nobody is pre-emptively investigating you.

        • D61 [any]@hexbear.net
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          7 months ago

          Was it during the enlistment process or did you make it through the initial paperwork, get through the MEPS station (or whatever your country’s version of it is), get through basic training, get through advanced individual training (actually learning your specific military specialty), get assigned to your first unit, and THEN get kicked out?

          • dislocate_expansionB
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            7 months ago

            Enlistment process required explaining all questionable affiliations, any religious connections that are not mainstream, and all tattoos

            • D61 [any]@hexbear.net
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              6 months ago

              I mean, if you walk in with a swastika tatoo on your forehead, sure. But you don’t have to tell anybody that you read Das Capital every night before bed.

    • Great_Leader_Is_Dead@hexbear.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      14
      ·
      7 months ago

      I once met a guy with Mao pic on his wall but also he had a security clearance for his job*. I don’t think they really care that much unless you’ve actually done something.

      *this guy was weird

    • EelBolshevikism [none/use name]@hexbear.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      13
      ·
      edit-2
      7 months ago

      Is suicide a crime?

      Yes actually, in the US suicide is considered a crime and at least gets you put in grippy socks jail if you even show obvious signs of considering it.

      • I was actually told that if you attempt suicide and don’t succeed, you get charged and thrown into the brig for exactly that. However, the military is full of made up bullshit that just gets repeated over and over, nobody knows what’s true.