Waiting for clearance was a surreal experience as family members, neighbors and former employers were grilled by the FBI, and potential hires were questioned about everything from their gambling habits to their sexuality.
Sex can be a source for bribery, blackmail, and/or espionage??? If this is so, why is it OK for deviants to be in our military????
/s (hopefully the tag is not necessary for most here...)
Guess a similar satellite program begun today would have to go without such vigorous background investigations since the Pink Brigade would get in such high dudgeon about it.
Once again my utmost respect goes out to these people whose work has gone unsung but are now getting the recognition and respect due to them. A big salute to them for helping fight the cold war.
“Sex can be a source for bribery, blackmail, and/or espionage??? “
Here is the problem: If someone has something to hide they may very well be subject to blackmail. The Soviets were known for using this to force secrets out of people, and to turn them into Soviet agents.
Let us say, 20 or 30 years ago (when it was a much bigger taboo to be a homo than it is considered today) that someone was a closeted homosexual, and yet had access to secrets. Now let’s say the the Soviet intelligence apparatus manages obtain photographic evidence of that person engaging in homo behavior. Release of that info would absolutely ruin that person’s life.
The homo would be fired at least, jailed at worst. So it is a simple matter to force a deal - the queer gets to stay in the closet so long as he co-operates with the enemy.
THAT is the kind of thing they are afraid of when it comes to granting a clearance, and why they delve into a persons habits and sexual preferences and behaviors.
“If this is so, why is it OK for deviants to be in our military????”
Once it is made OK, and the deviant is “out” about it then the enemy can’t use the knowledge of said deviancy to blackmail the deviant.
(please do not think I approve of homos in the military, I most certainly do not!)