Clearance and ethnicity/name?

[56pobi]

Smart faculty,

I'm considering applying for the SMART scholarship this year, but even though I'm an Agnostic, I have a very blatant middle eastern/Muslim name (Abdul), and I'm scared that the fact that I went to Syria for a family vacation during my freshman year in HS would mess with me being able to obtain clearance. It was a general family vacation.

You think this will be the case? I'm a proud American, and I've wanted to work at the DoD/DARPA ever since I was a junior in college and I watched a video on the DoD and military research in US History.

My friend who is prior military said that the government will find out anything and everything, so I have nothing to worry about if there's nothing fishy anyway.

I'm a really good computer scientist who has done a lot of research in data structures, cryptanalysis/modular analysis, modeling, and simulation methods at my school, and I really hope that my background and race don't affect me.

What do you guys think?

[56opi]

Junior in HS* edit sorry

[currentfed]

You shouldn't have any trouble. It would be horribly illegal for your race to be explicitly considered as a factor, and a single trip to Syria with your family would probably be looked into, but your friend was right that if nothing fishy happened, than you'll be fine. I currently work in the DoD, and I have a Muslim colleague named Ahmed, and another who grew up in Russia - I'm unaware that they've had any trouble with their security clearances.

[Employee]

Some people here at my base go to the middle east every year or so since they are from there. So there is no issue based on religion or ethnic group you belong to which is illegal. I am surprised someone who was in the military said that to you.

[smart_hopeful]

No one cares about religion or ethnicity. They're totally irrelevant to the clearance process. However, there may be some security concerns you should be prepared to address:

1. Family members who are foreign nationals, especially nationals of Syria, double especially if they still live there. Essentially, loved ones can be potentially used to pressure you to reveal classified information through appeals to family loyalty, or they could be threatened by a foreign government in an attempt to extort you.

2. Vacations to a foreign country, especially to one with an adversarial relationship to the US. You were only in junior high, so it's less of a concern, but you will probably spend quite a bit of time verifying details during the clearance process.

3. Foreign influence/preference. It doesn't sound like this is an issue in your case at all, but they'll want to make sure you're not a dual citizen, that you don't have a foreign passport, haven't served in a foreign power's military, don't have major overseas business or financial interests, and so on.

That's about it though. You'll have to do gigantic amounts of paperwork but I don't think they'd be a hurdle to final clearance. You can read more details about clearance guidelines here.

[56pobi]

Well, I'm really nervous, although I have some research experience in predator-prey situations and networking algorithms and a 3.95, I'm scared they're going to deny me based on the risk of my name.

I'm a double major in math and computer science.

I still live with my parents, and they're pretty culturally orientated to the Middle East, but I'm not...we get into fights because I think the US is much better in terms of academic prestige, freedoms, military power, etc. They're slightly religious, I'm not (I don't fast Ramadan, don't pray, don't go to the mosque- they kinda known...and are disappointed. I live in the South, and I'm as stereotypical Southern All-American as it gets...I watch baseball, football, I listen to Marshall Tucker Band, Garth Brooks, George Strait, I like to eat barbecue... I just feel like I'm in a really shitty spot to be honest because of my ties)....

Because we do get into fights and there's a polarization of ideologies, one of the reasons (other than the fact that I like the military and am contemplating becoming an officer after my tenure with smart if I receive the award, I'll be an officer out of college if I don't get it anyway) I'm applying to SMART is so that I could move out with the stipend and kind of just focus on my own life away from my family.

I don't agree with their views on life, I don't like their culture (our vacations to the middle east were so boring, I hated every bit of it), don't agree with the religion, etc.

I just feel like I'm automatically thrown into a hole because I'm an Arabic speaking middle eastern person who has been to Syria and has Muslim Syrian citizen parents.

[Govt Employee]

Seriously, if someone told me what you wrote that during the interview process. I probably would not hire them since it shows me their immaturity and they have a lot of issues. I have meet a lot of high gpa guys like that being an ivy league graduate. Always thinking like they are screwed due to someone else. After you graduate from a school your learning does not stop and people don't give you money even though you went to an ivy league school.

As a math major you should understand the odds for most people here. Over 6,000 apply and then 50% make it to the next round. Then a few hundred get accepted. My guess 150 this year. The odds are stacked against everyone here. Possible less then 3% with the odds being less next year. Heck they might get rid of the Smart next year or might not award it this year due to budgets.

[56opbi]

Seriously, if someone told me what you wrote that during the interview process. I probably would not hire them since it shows me their immaturity and they have a lot of issues. I have meet a lot of high gpa guys like that being an ivy league graduate. Always thinking like they are screwed due to someone else. After you graduate from a school your learning does not stop and people don't give you money even though you went to an ivy league school.

As a math major you should understand the odds for most people here. Over 6,000 apply and then 50% make it to the next round. Then a few hundred get accepted. My guess 150 this year. The odds are stacked against everyone here. Possible less then 3% with the odds being less next year. Heck they might get rid of the Smart next year or might not award it this year due to budgets.

How is that immature? I could care less about your Ivy League GPA friends...I'm just really nervous that I could get denied based on circumstances I could not control. I don't have the luxury of being born into a normal middle class stereotypically American family, and I'm just worried, because this is something I feel really passionate about in terms of receiving. I'm very pro-military, and I'm on the verge of a career in academia and research or becoming an officer after I graduate; I feel like this is the chance for me to merge the application of the field that I love in an environment that I feel so passionately about...

[Nunya]

Don’t get yourself so worked up over the ethnicity/name issue. First off, the DoD is more ethnically diverse than most civilian organizations. I work with several foreign born individuals personally, and they all have security clearances. As pointed out previously, the only concern is over your loyalty and coercivity. That is to say, how much of a risk are you. The key is to just be honest on the SF-86/e-QIP. If there is anything they have concern over, they will ask you to clarify. No one is simply going to see the name on the application and deny it automatically. One more thing I would suggest is to definitely not worry about it until you even know if you get an award.

[smart_hopeful]

I just feel like I'm automatically thrown into a hole because I'm an Arabic speaking middle eastern person who has been to Syria and has Muslim Syrian citizen parents.

If anything the language ability is a huge flashing "Hire Me!" sign. DoD is in dire need of Arabic speakers.

As far as clearance is concerned, your name and ethnicity are not part of the process, at all, period. There is a specific list of criteria that the clearance investigators will check. These criteria are called the Adjudicative Guidelines and can be found online.

The fact that you have Syrian citizen parents will be an item of real concern, but it would be a concern in the exact same way even if they and you were all blond-haired Christians named Smith. It's the citizenship that's relevant.

[Ed_Mo]

I just feel like I'm automatically thrown into a hole because I'm an Arabic speaking middle eastern person who has been to Syria and has Muslim Syrian citizen parents.

Don't worry that's not how DOD works. I got the scholarship and I was born and grew up in an Arabic Muslim country (until I was 20), and I have "Mohamed" in my name.

Your process may take longer depending on the level of clearance, but as long as you are loyal to the United States, and you have a clean criminal record you will get it.