Expert: Rod Powers - 11/20/2007

Question
My boyfriend is in the process of being discharged from the Navy RTC after he couldn't recieve the needed security clearance for his job. He disclosed everything before he left for RTC and the people he talked to both at the recruitment station and at MEPS told him he'd be fine. He had a 93 on the ASVAB and two years of NJROTC service, but was diagnosed with depression at age 15 and proscribed Zoloft. He never filled or took the prescription and has never had problems with depression since, and disclosed everything when he signed up. Will he have any chance at re-enlistment at all, even with another job that doesn't require high security clearance?

Answer
Hi Elizabeth,

There's something wrong here, and your boyfriend may not be telling you the entire truth (I'm sorry, but this happens).

The general rule is, if someone tells the entire truth on their secrutiy clearance application, and then is denied a security clearance, they are not discharge, but rather allowed to re-train into a job which doesn't require a security clearance.

On other other hand, if someone is denied a security clearance because they lied on their security clearance application, the service is free to discharge them.

Add this to the fact that the Navy (and the Air Force), rarely, rarely, rarley, rarey, rarely,  accepts an applicant with a diagnosed history of depression, and my best guess would be, while he may have told his recruiter about it, the recruiter then (wrongly) advised him not to disclose the condition at MEPS, and he later got caught in the lie (see my article at: http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/joiningup/a/falsestatements.htm

If so, he committed a "felony" by lying about his medical history, and (from the military's point of view," someone who is willing to commit a felony for their own personal gain is not someone that should be granted a security clearance.

I'm sorry, but based on the information provided, that's how I "read" it.

For more information about the United States Military, feel free to visit my U.S. Military information site at: http://usmilitary.about.com

Hope this helps!

Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com