Meet Rick- The Clearance Expert

I’m Rick, your security clearance expert, and I am here to help you navigate the often bumpy road through your background investigation. Obtaining and retaining a security clearance can be confusing and stressful, but I can make sure that you, your background investigator and your adjudicating agency are all on the same page. Though it may seem so at times, the background investigation process is not intended to be adversarial. You, the applicant, want to serve your country in a cleared position and your future employer wants you accomplishing their mission as soon as possible. My role is to make sure your security clearance application and personal interview are presented to the US government in a manner that clearly expresses your character and background.

You will find no one better than me to guide you through the process. I have worked in security clearance investigations and adjudications full time for 20+ years. I have performed background investigations for the US Office of Personnel Management (now Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency), Department of Defense, Department of State, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and a variety of intelligence community agencies. I have an MS in a security related field and at one point in my career I was the personnel security officer for over 3000 US government employees and contractors.

What sets me apart from other security clearance consultants is that I currently conduct federal background investigations on a daily basis. Background investigation policies, standards and areas of coverage change on a monthly basis. In October 2019 the vast majority of security clearance investigations were handed over to a newly created agency, Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA). This move has come with significant changes to the clearance process.

Someone who has been out of the investigations business for a few years will not be able to adequately advise you in this ever changing field. I am able to tell you what parts of your life will be investigated, what records will be reviewed, what questions your investigator is likely to ask you and your associates and with whom your investigator is likely to speak. If you have concerns over issues in your past, you and I can sit down and go over the best way for you to present that information to your investigator. Many people are denied a clearance simply because they were not proactive enough to make sure their investigator relayed the full story to decision makers. After your consultation you will be armed with the knowledge to take charge of your own clearance process.

I can also help if you have been denied a security clearance and need to appeal your Statement of Reasons. Many appeals of denied security clearances are successful if the employee can present mitigating factors that were not clearly relayed to your background investigator. I am intimately familiar with the Adjudicative Standards and am the right person to help you keep your clearance.

I look forward to working with you towards your goal of keeping our country safe. If you have any questions please contact me HERE. Thank you for your interest in my services.