Will I lose my top secret clearance if i become an officer?

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 04 Apr 2021 09:11:25 -0400

i'm a 35s interested in the green to gold program i want to be an officer (specifically intel) i know that MOS are not guaranteed i wanted to keep my top secret clearance so i could possibly use it for future employment on the civilian side. i want to know if i become an officer would i lose my top secret clearance forever?

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Apr 4 at 2021 9:25 AM

Lt Col Jim Coe — Sun, 04 Apr 2021 09:25:54 -0400

No. Many Officer slots require a TS or higher. You might be downgraded to a Secret while you’re in college, but the upgrade process is simple and doesn’t take long.

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Apr 4 at 2021 10:00 AM

CSM Darieus ZaGara — Sun, 04 Apr 2021 10:00:37 -0400

You would never lose your clearance, the level may be suspended, otherwise a wast of money. If you do not have an active TS when you are commissioned or separate from service, it is all about the timing of your last BI, generally only good for 5 years with a TS.

Response by LtCol Robert Quinter made Apr 4 at 2021 10:31 AM

LtCol Robert Quinter — Sun, 04 Apr 2021 10:31:24 -0400

Your clearance will terminate when you leave the military or retire. Any employer who has positions that require government clearances is only interested in whether you have gone through the background checks that enable a clearance. The employer must request granting of a clearance and can judge how long the checks will take based upon what level you once held and the period of time that must be covered to reissue at the level required by the position he is offering.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 4 at 2021 10:43 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 04 Apr 2021 10:43:24 -0400

Kept my TS all the way through the G2G program and still have it today.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 4 at 2021 11:41 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 04 Apr 2021 11:41:06 -0400

I seriously doubt it. If you are aware that you are due for reinvestigation, I would advise the office of the school's commandant in writing.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 4 at 2021 4:00 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 04 Apr 2021 16:00:38 -0400

If you don't fall into a TS officer slot you will be down graded, but probably keep TS until that slot is determined. I was 35F then went QM (only secret), but kept TS until it expired, and was downgraded Secret at the renewal (basically, the system was lazy, a TS would need a renewal at 5, but could magically just downgrade me to S and get me another 5 without any work).

In the grand scheme of things, losing TS doesn't mean anything. If you don't have a position that requires it you are not missing anything. The fact you had one BEFORE matters just as much as anything if you find yourself in a new position that requires it.

Response by Maj Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 4 at 2021 6:43 PM

Maj Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 04 Apr 2021 18:43:44 -0400

You wouldn't retain a clearance unless your MOS/Career field required it. Also it's the background investigation that's important.

Response by SMSgt Bob Wilson made Apr 5 at 2021 1:09 AM

SMSgt Bob Wilson — Mon, 05 Apr 2021 01:09:30 -0400

Simple answer is MAYBE. TS is given when you have a need to know!! If you become a "Zero" and do not have a "need to know" you'll LOSE it.

Response by Maj John Bell made Apr 5 at 2021 4:34 PM

Maj John Bell — Mon, 05 Apr 2021 16:34:24 -0400

No, but if your billet doesn't require a TS access you will lose your access.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 5 at 2021 11:20 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 05 Apr 2021 23:20:33 -0400

If you branch into something that doesn't require a TS, you're gonna get downgraded to a Secret. They've been auditing TS clearances to see who has them that doesn't need them anymore - either because their duty position doesn't require it or MOS. If they find people who don't require it, they're downgrading.

Also once you ETS/retire, your clearance is only good for 2 years after you ETS or if it expires before that. So you won't get to keep it "forever" after you get out of the military anyway.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 6 at 2021 8:43 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 08:43:54 -0400

No, I have literally never had the need to know TS/SCI information. They renew my clearance every time though.

Response by Brian MIlls made Oct 26 at 2023 1:37 PM

Brian MIlls — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 13:37:04 -0400

Not at all