Questionnaire For National Security Positions: Fill & Download for Free

There is a reason that there was not a single indictment of an official in the Obama administration over 8 years, but a string of indictments, convictions and scandals in the Trump administration in just two and a half. It’s vetting.Candidates for positions in the Obama administration had to complete extensive questionnaires and provide extensive documentation. They went through weeks or even months of background checks. Trump shortcut that process. He asks his friends who they think will be good for the job, meets with the candidate, and then makes the decision. You can read an example of that process in the vetting of National Security Advisor General H. R. McMaster as recorded in Bob Woodward’s book, Fear: Trump in the White House. McMaster was not involved in any scandals, but Trump fired him in 2018. Politico had an article in 2016 about Trump’s vetting that’s worth reading:Inside Trump’s freewheeling vetting operationI don’t think it’s so much that Trump doesn’t take his job seriously, but rather than he has a monumentally overblown belief in his own judgment, and the fact that he values loyalty to himself more highly than integrity or competence.Update: I answered this question on August 3 of 2019, almost a year ago. Since that time there has been further turnover in the Trump Administration. At this point Trump’s turnover rate in top administration positions is 88%, double the next highest president, Reagan. He’s had 4 National Security Advisors, and 5 Deputy National Security Advisors.[1] Most of the cabinet secretaries are “acting” and not appointed and confirmed by the Senate.Footnotes[1] Tracking turnover in the Trump administration

The “questionnaire for national security positions” is 127 pages in length. It grew from the 1970’s when it was 45.The rationale? If one is to be entrusted with the secrets of the nation then the background investigation and adjudication of the application for a national security clearance should be comprehensive.Here’s a copy of the questionnaire for your perusal.https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf86-non508.pdfThe purpose of the form, per the Office of Personnel Management is to:This form will be used by the United States (U.S.) Government in conducting background investigations, reinvestigations, and continuous evaluations of persons under consideration for, or retention of, national security positions as defined in 5 CFR 732, and for individuals requiring eligibility for access to classified information under Executive Order 12968. This form may also be used by agencies in determining whether a subject performing work for, or on behalf of, the Government under a contract should be deemed eligible for logical or physical access when the nature of the work to be performed is sensitive and could bring about an adverse effect on the national security .

No, but they can make it extremely difficult.In order to enlist you need, as a minimum, Identification (passport, drivers license, student ID) a copy of you birth certificate and your Social Security card.If they really wanted to slow you down, they could take and hide or shred all of those documents. It wouldn't stop you, you could still get copies, but it would certainly slow you down.The same thing for your SF-86, Questionnaire for National Security Positions. You need a lot of details to complete that form and they could simply refuse to give you that info.So No, they can’t stop you, but they can sure make it harder.If it’s what you want to do, follow your dreams.