BECOMING AN OFFICIAL AT THE PENTAGON

DRUG-FREE FEDERAL WORKPLACE PROGRAM

Most DoD positions have been designated as a Testing Designated Position (TDP). All applicants tentatively appointed to a TDP, and not currently employed in a TDP position, will be tested prior to employment or appointment. Typically, no final offer of employment will be made until a negative test result has been received by the Drug Testing Coordinator and communicated to the staffing specialist. It is permissible to waive the receipt of the testing results before an appointment. All DoD employees in TDPs are also subject to random drug tests. 

For information on DoD Drug-Free Workplace Program requirements, see Part II. Personal Benef its and Services, Human Resources Matter section of this handbook.

SECURITY CLEARANCES

The duties and responsibilities of each position correlates with a specific “sensitivity level.” This sensitivity level determines the type of personnel security investigation and level of security clearance required for the employee that occupies the position:

• A “No Clearance Required” designation correlates with a “non-sensitive position”

• A “Secret” level security clearance correlates with a “non-critical sensitive position.”

• A “Top Secret” security clearance correlates with a “critical sensitive position.”

• A “Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information” (SCI) clearance correlates with a “special sensitive position.”

The servicing Human Resources office is responsible for ensuring managers update the sensitivity level as position descriptions change and for coordinating with the personnel Security Office. After an individual accepts a tentative job offer, the personnel Security Office will coordinate with other Government entities and the component Security Manager to facilitate the security clearance and any special access credentialing. Each “Special Access Programs” (SAP) requires a specific clearance level. Many SAPs require SCI access, and specific program indoctrination.

For new employees, once employment begins, the component Security Manager will coordinate execution of the Classified Information Nondisclosure Agreement, SF Form 312, and all necessary special access/special program indoctrinations.

Questions related to security clearances may be addressed to the WHS Human Resources Directorate Personnel Security Operations Division at 571- 372-4002/3985 or your component Security Manager.

BUILDING ACCESS

Obtaining a Common Access Card

The Common Access Card (CAC) is the principal card used for identification, physical access to the Pentagon and other DoD facilities in the National Capital Region (NCR), and is the key to enable information technology systems and applications that access the Department’s computer networks.

To obtain a CAC, you must have, at minimum, a favorable completion of a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) fingerprint check, an initiated National Agency Check with Inquiries (NACI), a National Agency Check, law and credit checks, or an initiated national security investigation. The NAC consists of searches of the Office of Personnel Management Security/Suitability Investigations Index, the Defense Clearance and Investigations Index; the FBI Identification Division’s name and fingerprint files, and other files or indices when necessary. 

The NACI, the basic and minimum investigation required on all new Federal employees, consists of a NAC with written inquires and searches of records covering specific areas of a person’s background during the past 5 years. Inquiries are sent to current and past employers, schools attended, references, and local law enforcement authorities. Once favorably completed, it typically takes only a few days for your appointment information to flow into the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS), and the Real-time Automated Personnel Identification System (RAPIDS).