Introduction

In order to obtain a Security Clearance the applicant must:

  • Show documentation proving US citizenship.
  • Be fingerprinted by law enforcement official or the Field Office to be forwarded to Corporate Security Office.

The Defense Security Service provides the Electronic Personnel Security Questionnaire online.

This document will detail the step-by-step process of completing the SF86 security questionnaire.

Table of Contents Page

  • Introduction

Table of Contents 1

  • Important information

Including Aerotek, Inc. as Current Employer 2

Unemployment 2

Finding Your Selective Service Number 2

  • Instructions

Preparing Information 3

Entry Edit Checks 4

Installing EPSQ 5

Completing Paperwork 6

Submitting Paperwork 7

  • Personnel Security Investigations

FAQs 8-14

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Including Aerotek, Inc. as Current Employer

Aerotek must be included as a current employer. Please use the example below to complete Module 6:

(1) CURRENT EMPLOYMENT:

From:

Insert Start Date

To: Present

Type of Employment: 9. Other

Employer Name: Aerotek, Inc.

Employer Phone:

Insert the phone number of your Field Office

Your position/title:

Insert Your Job Title

Job Address:

Insert the Physical Location of the Job Site

Supervisor’s full name:

Name of Supervisor at the Job Site

Supervisor’s phone:

Phone Number of Supervisor at the Job Site

Is the employer’s address different from the job location address? Yes

Employer’s Address: 7301 Parkway Drive, Hanover MD 21076

Is the supervisor’s address different from the job location address? No

Unemployment and Self-Employment

Do not use your self as a verification contact for modules in which you list unemployment or self-employment. Use a spouse, parent or friend, who can verify your unemployment or self-employment.

If you did notcollect unemployment compensation, choose “Remarks, “ and enter “I did not collect unemployment compensation during this time.”

If you didcollect unemployment compensation, in “Remarks,“ enter the name, address, and telephone number of the agency that you collected unemployment through.

Finding Your Selective Service Number

In Module 18, if you are a male born after December 31, 1959, you must list your selective service registration number. To find out what your selective service registration number is, call the Selective Service System at (847) 688-6888.

INSTRUCTIONS

Preparing Information

Users mayfind EPSQ an easier task if they are well prepared. Depending on the type of security investigation being conducted, personal information must be documented. For Top Secret Clearance and ADP- 1, and Periodic Reinvestigations for Top Secret Clearance, the investigation will go back approximately ten years. Secret and Confidential Clearances, and ADP-2 investigations will go back approximately five years.

A good way to prepare is to complete the SF86 or SF85P Worksheet before entering the information into EPSQ. These worksheets can be obtained from the following website:

The following is a list of information that will be required:

  • Personal Information – Name, date, place of birth, physical characteristics
  • Other Names Used – Any other names you have used
  • Citizenship – Current citizenship, including naturalization or alien registration if applicable
  • Where You Have Lived – All your residences for the past 5 or 10 years
  • Where You Went to School – Education in the last 5 or 10 years; or last school attended after high school, if any
  • Employment Activities – Provide continuous history of employment, unemployment, and self-employment for the past 5 or 10 years. Include Aerotek, Inc. as a current employer.
  • People Who Know You Well – Name, address, and phone number needed for 3 people
  • Spouse – Current and former spouse(s)
  • Relatives and Associates – Names, address, citizenship
  • Citizenship of Relatives and Associates – Additional citizenship information about certain close relatives born outside the U.S.
  • Military Record – Any less than honorable discharge
  • Selective Service Record – Selective service registration number or exemption. To find out what your selective service registration number is, call (847) 688-6888.
  • Medical Record – Any consultation/treatment with health professional for mental health related condition during last 7 years, including name, address, phone number of provider
  • Employment Record – Details on certain employment terminations
  • Police Record – Charged or convicted offenses, including name of law enforcement agency and location of court
  • Illegal Use of Drugs/Drug Activities – Any use in past 7 years, including use while on job, in sensitive position, etc.
  • Alcohol Use – Treatment and/or counseling in last 7 years
  • Clearances/Investigations Record – Others held, denied, revoked, suspended
  • Financial Record – Bankruptcies, repossessions, wage garnishments, tax liens, unpaid judgments, delinquencies
  • Public Record Civil Court Action – Any in last 7 years not covered elsewhere in form
  • Association Record – Association with, and/or participation in, organizations advocating violent overthrow of U.S. Government
INSTRUCTIONS

Entry Edit Checks

  • IF Unknown, Use UNK – If the person has no middle name/initial, you should enter NMN. If you do not know the first name and/or middle name, enter UNK for one or both.
  • Suffix (Jr., Sr.) – A suffix should be used for additional designations such as Jr., Sr., II (2nd), or III (3rd), where applicable.
  • Middle Initials – If the first or middle name consists of an initial only, enter the initial(s). In addition, if the name has no suffix, indicate the use of initial(s) by entering IO in the suffix. [Example: J P Smith IO.] However, if the name has a suffix, the suffix takes priority and IO should be omitted.
  • Special Symbols – If appropriate, you can use spaces, apostrophes (‘), hyphens (-), and period (.) within a name. [Examples: Carol Anne St. James or, Mary Lisa O’Grady or Jean NMN Jenkins-Smith]
  • Dates – Dates must be entered in the format YYYY/MM/DD. For example, January 18, 1947, would be 1947/01/18. Your own birth date must be entered completely. Other dates can be entered as YYYY/MM/?? if you are unsure of the day. Estimate the month if you are unsure. For example, a date you believe to be in January 1947 would be entered as “1947/01/??” You CANNOT use “future” dates in most fields.
  • Foreign Addresses – Although EPSQ does not validate the internal contents of addresses; you should enter APO addresses using the following format. For APO addresses, enter the unit name in Address line 1 and the APO designation (e.g., APO-AE for Europe) in Address line 2. Enter the APO number (without “APO”) in the ZIP or FPC field. Do not use the State Code field. In the Country Code field, enter the actual country location.

If the listed individuals have addresses that include APO numbers, the user enters APO AA, APO AE, or APO AP (as appropriate) as the City. The user then enters FL (if APO AA), NY (if APO AE), or CA (if APO AP) as the State, and the appropriate APO number as the Zip Code. This method will allow users to enter data regarding references that live outside the U.S.

INSTRUCTIONS

Installing EPSQ

1.Open your Internet Browser. Go to

2.Choose "EPSQ” on the left side of the screen.

3.Scroll down to “DOWNLOAD EPSQ.” Choose “Version 2.2 (Current Version).”

4.Find the quill & pen icon at the bottom of the page. Click the icon to continue.

(Note: You can also download instruction manuals under EPSQ documentation).

5.The next screen you see is a warning page. Read it and click on the “Press to acknowledge the above statement and continue” bar.

6.Next, click on the link that matches the version of Microsoft Windows that you are using.

7.Choose “new installation of EPSQ.”

8.Choose “Subject Edition.”

9.Click on “Download Full Subject Edition.”

10.A screen will appear to save the file. Save the file on the hard drive, not on a floppy disk. The file name should be “subject 2_2.exe.” Note where you saved the file.

11.After the file finishes downloading, locate the “subject2_2.exe” file that you downloaded. Double click on that file to begin installation.

12.Click on “Finish”, “Install”, then, “O.K.”.

13.When installation has completed, click “O.K.”.

14.At the next window, double click on “Subject Edition”.

INSTRUCTIONS

Completing Paperwork

1.Open EPSQ software. Select "Create," "User Form."

2.Select Type of Form.

  • For Top Secret, Secret, or Confidential clearance, select the SF86.
  • For ADP’s, select SF85P.

3.Select Type of Investigation.

  • For Top Secret clearance select SSBI; for Secret, or Confidential clearance, select NACLC.
  • For ADP I select SSBI; or ADP II or III, select NAC or NACLC.
  • For Top Secret Periodic Reinvestigation select Periodic Reinvestigation.
  • For Secret Periodic Reinvestigation select Secret PR.

4.Review Privacy Act Statement. "Enter" to continue.

5.Create Password.

  • Enter Social Security Number in the "User Login" box.
  • Type in a password (eight characters or less,) retype the password to verify it, then click "OK."

6.Type of Organization.

  • Select "2. Contractor." Click "Next."

7.Confirm SSN and click "Yes."

8.Complete forms.

  • Enter all requested personal data. Do not leave blanks or gaps. If an answer is unknown, use UNK for alpha answers, any number for numeric answers, and the current date for date answers. Explain in "Comments" that the information is unknown and dummy answers were used for validating purposes. When the form is completed, "Exit."

9.Validate User Form.

  • Under "Validation" choose "User Form." This will check for errors. The validation report displays the number and location of errors on the form.

10.Correct Errors.

  • Select "Modify" "User Form".
  • Highlight the module to edit. Click "OK."
  • Make all the necessary corrections. "Exit" and click "OK."
  • "Validate," "User Form" again.

11. Print the Form.

  • Once there are no errors left, and the form can be validated, print two copies.

Keep a copy for personal records, and send the other copy to the Field Office.

  1. Sign all of the releases on the Security Officer's copy (the releases are located
near the end of the form.)
INSTRUCTIONS

Submitting Paperwork

After the form is completed and printed, a signed hard copy and a disk copy must be sent to the Security Officer, along with a copy of a birth certificate, passport, or certificate of naturalization.

Instructions on submitting the required paperwork are as follows:

1.Save your form to disk. Make sure the disk is formatted. Do not use a write- protected disk. The form MUST BE VALIDATED before you save it.

  • To format a floppy disk:

*Insert disk into drive.

*Double-click the ” My Computer” icon.

*Right-click the icon for the floppy drive. This is usually the "[A:]" drive.

*On the File menu, click Format. Do not select the Quick Format option.

*Click on Start.

*A warning will appear, click OK.

*You will receive a notice when the formatting is competed, click OK then Close.

Note - Formatting a disk removes all information from the disk. You cannot format a disk if there are files open on that disk. For Help on an item, click at the top of the dialog box, and then click the item.

  • Open EPSQ.
  • Select "Communications" from the EPSQ menu toolbar, and choose "Prepare file to give to Security Officer."
  • Delete the asterisk and name the file (last name is preferred). Instead of this: *.zdb, it should look something like this: jones.zdb.
  • Select the disk drive, usually "(A:)", as the directory to export the form into.
  • Highlight the file and press "OK" to export the information.

2.Write the file name and password on the disk.

3.Seal the signed hardcopy of the security questionnaire and the disk in an envelope and submit to Field Office to be forwarded to the Corporate Security Office.

PERSONNEL SECURITY INVESTIGATIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Defense Security Service?

The Defense Security Service (DSS) is an agency within the Department of Defense (DoD). One of our principal missions is to conduct Personnel Security Investigations (PSI) on:

  • DoD military or civilian personnel who require a security clearance to access classified or sensitive information
  • Employees of facilities in private industry that are cleared under the DoD portion of the National Industrial Security Program (NISP)

What is a Personnel Security Investigation (PSI)?

A PSI is an inquiry into an individual's loyalty, character, trustworthiness and reliability to ensure that he or she is eligible to access classified information or for an appointment to a sensitive position or position of trust.

Why are PSIs and Security Clearances Necessary?

PSIs and security clearances are key elements in protecting the security of the United States. PSIs and security clearances are required to counter the threats that may stem from:

  • Foreign intelligence services
  • Organizations or people who wish to overthrow or undermine the United States government through unconstitutional means, violent acts, or other terrorist group activities
  • Individuals who:
  • May be susceptible to pressure or improper influence.
  • Have been dishonest or demonstrated a lack of integrity that has caused others to doubt their reliability.

Who Decides Whether a Security Clearance or Access to a Sensitive Position Is Granted?

An adjudicator, who is employed by one of the DoD Central Adjudication Facilities (CAFs), reviews the results of a PSI and compares it to established qualifying criteria for granting access to classified information or for an appointment to a sensitive position or position of trust.

PERSONNEL SECURITY INVESTIGATIONS

Frequently Asked Questions (Continued)

Why Me?

You should only be subject to a PSI if you will have access to classified information or be assigned to a sensitive position or a position of trust. If you believe that your job does not or will not involve this level of access, you should discuss the situation with your security officer or the investigator during your subject interview.

What if Another Federal Agency Has Already Conducted a Background Investigation on Me?

Other federal investigative agencies also conduct background investigations on federal government and government contractor employees. The DoD will usually accept such an investigation as the basis for a security clearance depending on when it was conducted and what events may have occurred since the time of the prior investigation.

At My Request, Will DSS Conduct a PSI on Me?

No, DSS can only accept investigative requests from military or civilian organizations under DoD or from contractor facilities that are cleared under the defense portion of the NISP.

How Does the PSI Process Get Started?

If you are a candidate for a security clearance, or a sensitive position or position of trust, you will be asked to complete an Electronic Personnel Security Questionnaire (EPSQ) to provide personal details on your background. Once you complete the document, you must forward it to your security officer who will in turn submit it to DSS. Only a security officer, or another designated official in your organization, has the authority to submit security questionnaires directly to DSS. Your investigation will be opened once DSS receives your EPSQ and validates that it is completely filled out.

What a Long Form! Are All of the Questions Really Necessary?

The EPSQ can seem daunting, but you will find that most questions are fairly straightforward and provide DSS and adjudicative personnel with the necessary information about relevant aspects of your life.

PERSONNEL SECURITY INVESTIGATIONS

Frequently Asked Questions (Continued)

When you fill out the EPSQ:

1. Read through the instructions and questions to find out what is required.

2. Collect the necessary information.

3. Allow plenty of time to complete the form.

4. Answer all of the questions.

Failure to complete the form correctly may delay the opening or completion of your PSI and the adjudication of your case. If you do not understand a question, please ask for guidance from your security officer, the person who gave you the questionnaire, or the DSS Customer Call Center at 1-888-347-5213. You may also learn more about EPSQ by visiting the DSS web site at or by e-mailing a request for the EPSQ brochure to .

Who Should I Name as References and What Will They be Asked?

Your references should be people who have known you for a significant period of your life. These references will be asked questions about your honesty, reliability, and trustworthiness, and their opinion on whether you should be given access to classified information or assigned to a sensitive position or position of trust. Your references will also be asked questions about your past and present activities, employment history, education, family background, neighborhood activities, and finances. During your PSI, the investigator(s) will need to know if you have had any involvement with drugs, encounters with the police, or problem drinking habits, and other facts about your personal history.

What Is the Investigative Process?

A PSI consists of one or more of the following inquiries:

  • A National Agency Check (NAC)-A search of investigative files and other records held by federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
  • A Local Agency Check (LAC)-A review of appropriate criminal history records held by local law enforcement agencies, such as police departments or sheriffs, with jurisdiction over the areas where you have resided, gone to school, or worked.
  • Financial checks.
  • Field interviews of references to include coworkers, employers, personal friends, educators, neighbors, and other appropriate individuals.
  • Checks of records held by employers, courts, and rental offices.
  • An interview with you by an investigator.

PERSONNEL SECURITY INVESTIGATIONS

Frequently Asked Questions (Continued)

These inquiries are performed by one or more investigators who work in the geographic area where the information is to be obtained. NACs, however, may be performed electronically from a central location.

What Will I Be Asked During the Subject Interview?

The objective of the subject interview is to obtain a complete picture of you as an individual so that an adjudicator can determine whether you will be able to cope with having access to classified or sensitive information without becoming a security risk. Therefore, the interview will be wide-ranging and cover most aspects of your life.