I lost my Top Secret plus, plus, plus clearance the day I left the Army. Why are these individuals different?
We need common sense, comprehensive security clearance revocation.
I think they’re confusing being read-off with inability to be read-on. I think revoking clearance means not being able to ever access classified info, but who knows?...maybe these punks still have access and that needs to be shut down!
>>I lost my Top Secret plus, plus, plus clearance the day I left the Army. Why are these individuals different?<<
Some of us have Double-secret Top Secret status.
You have to have the decoder ring and the baking-soda submarine. And the ID # only detectable by radiation-detectors punched onto your arm.
Not sure how it works for CIA and senior executives but for the military you lose your Top Secret Access when you leave a billet that requires it. For code-word accesses you get “read-out” in a meeting in which you are instructed on the rules/laws about any type of disclosure. If you have a TS Clearance it expires 5 years after you last investigation completion unless your organization updates your background investigation. Also, to get access you have to be certified as having a “need-to-know” by a certifying authority.
One would hope... that John Brennan lost his access when he left the CIA already. Pulling his clearance for cause will make it difficult for him to get it up dated.
Being the active shift supervisor for the weekend in the comm center I was stationed with in the Army, I wasn't granted a Top Secret clearance until after I was forced to handle a top secret flash message that came into the station over an unsecure teletype from a comm center on the other side of the Canal........
That was on Sunday and I had to give a report to the station CO Monday morning. I was worried because Tuesday I was leaving for home in the states for the first 30 day leave in a year and a half. When I got back to Panama, my security clearance had been upgraded from Secret to Top Secret.............just like that!
What's funny is the fact that since we were a relay station and the only equipment we had was teletype, all messages coming into our station were via teletype tape and all we did was take the tape to the other side of the room and send them out on the transmitting bank to their designated stations.
So all I had in my hands was a teletype tape and never did see what the flash message was all about..........LOL!
Considering where it came from, It was probably just a practice message.......
I’ve been assuming that they may be needed for consultation, thus keep their clearance active.
...at least that’s the only thing I can think of, otherwise it is ridiculous.
Hopefully they lost access like the rest of us did/do - the clearances are generally left to expire their normal deaths...actually rebuking them would make it so a valid entity couldn’t have them reactivated and make a specific statement.....I spent a number of years as a Unit Security officer (both as active duty and as a civilian) and processed/verified clearances/access..