What is a SF-86?

[DaveXIII90]

I have recently been browsing through the About.com military forums and can't help to notice how frequently this form is refered to. What exactly is it? From the looks of things, this is the paper that gets all the lying people caught when they lie about medical stuff and criminal history right? Because it seems to just be a background check form, and when they refered to it in one thread today, the guy said to someone that the recruits that lie about medical crap get caught after meps because they use this form to browse into their entire history? I am confused. And just out of curiousity, and hopefully this will help me answer questions on that board- what is the exact forms or process or whatever that is the one that gets people caught when they lie about medical problems? I know the security clearance catches the criminal and drug records, but what brings out the medical stuff?

[1stRad2671]

http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF86.pdf

[DaveXIII90]

I already read that. But still is that what mainly catches recruits red handed when they lie about their medical history? If not, what are the things that get the recruits caught?

[Zulu 36]

The SF-86 is primarily used to obtain information from people who will under go the background investigation necessary for a Top Secret security clearance and/or certain levels of access within a TS...

[DaveXIII90]

Alright so the two things that will get you caught are the in-depth background investigation, and the stress of boot camp. Got it. I can finally decrease the huge amount of "Lying at MEPS" threads over at usmilitary.about.com's forums. Thank you. By the way, I don't/did not ever/will not ever smoke or do any form of illegal substances. But I still think that it was funny nevertheless when I was used as an example. :)

[Kegler300]

All Marines are required to complete an SF86 for a National Agency Check, Local Agency Check and Credit (NACLC). This is supposed to be completed prior to shipping to boot camp, but I find that about 50 percent of the Marines that check in with me, they only have the Entrance National Agency Check (ENAC). The NACLC is also the investigation that determines eligibility for a Secret security clearance. Many of the MOS's required that you be eligible for a secret clearance.

[Zulu 36]

Then they changed the rules on the SF-86. It was not used for ENTNACs previously, only for background investigations. It asked for way more information than needed for ENTACS and NACS, so wasn't used.

[Kegler300]

Yes, the rules changed shortly after 9-11.

[Zulu 36]

Yes, the rules changed shortly after 9-11.

Thats OK. I always recommended to Marines that they completely fill out an SF-86 anyway and keep it handy, updating as necessary. That way if they needed to fill one out for real, they had the info at their fingertips and didn't have to write or call mom, dad, and friends looking for info in a hurry. Note: This was pre e-mail and cell phones.

I still have my last SF-86 update still in my old personal military files.

[DaveXIII90]

Ok I think I understand now- tell me if I am right. SO bassically, every recruit that enlists fills out the SF-86 before shipping out to bootcamp. At that point, the SF86 is just used to do financial/credit, criminal history, and prior service checks. The background check that includes refferals being called is only done when a security clearance is needed. Is this correct?

[DaveXIII90]

Wait so from what many people have told me, they only contact your references and family you list on the form if you are doing a security clearance or secret clearance? Some of the people i talked to said that none of their references were called.

[Zulu 36]

I don't understand why you're so worked up about doing an SF-86. If you're clean and have been truthful to your recruiter, there is nothing to worry about.

A secret clearance can be granted based on a National Agency Records check.

For a Top secret clearance, a background investigation is done (there are actually a couple of difference background investigations depending on the kind of access you might require within the top secret classification). Reference interviews are almost always, if not always, conducted with BIs.

[DaveXIII90]

Ok, so they only contact references during the background check, not the sf86? and they only do the BI during TS? im only worked up about it because i sawe the packet and it is HUGE. not to mention that alot of my friends i talked to and asked if i could list were not too happy, seeing as to how the FBI might have to interview them- theyve been caught in some unfortunate situations a few years ago, they cleaned up now....but they still dont like talking to anyone like a detective. But anyways, they only contact them if you do a TS, in which the references are interviewed in the BI? thats what it seems you are telling me. it just seemed to me that they contacted them as part of the SF-86, and not for the clearance.

[Zulu 36]

Some friends if they're reluctant to talk to the FBI. The FBI doesn't do military BIs, they're done by the Defense Security Service (DSS).

Look here, this is a fairly accurate representation of a BI.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_Scope_Background_Investigation

[DaveXIII90]

I just read that article, and I was suprised to see that Robert Oppenheimer had his security clearance revoked. And yet he worked on the most top secret government operation in history, more closely guarded than any other operation in the nearby guarded land of the Nevada test site and Area 51. Very interesting and weird. Anyway, I guess they won't even bother calling anyone I list on the SF86 because I am doing infantry, which doesnt even require a clearance. But I am still confused as to why they make you list all of those references if you are doing an MOS that doesnt require clearance. Shouldnt they just give you a seperate form to fill out that is specifically for the security clearance level, rather than writing stuff down and making a huge packet to fill out that wonnt be used to get in contact with references? In my opinion, that would take a hell of a lot of paper work out of the day at MEPS.

[Zulu 36]

No you won't need a clearance - initially. You might be a grunt, but the Corps could still put you someplace requiring a clearance - even with an infantry MOS.

Don't worry, if a few years down the road they want to do a BI on you for some reason, or you reup and change MOS, you'll have to do a new SF-86 anyway. That's why I suggest keeping a copy and updating it as necessary.

[DaveXIII90]

So they won't be calling my friends/family whoever i put on the original sf-86 that I turn in to them at the RS/MEPS. But when I get sent to that secret super fortress in Iraq that supposedly does not exist, I will be required to have a secret clearance. Lol, am I right? Obviously i wont get sent to a secret military installation, but i know what you meen about Areas Of Operation that require clearances. So no one listed on the original RS/MEPS received sf86 will be called? And just to tell you how rediculous my friends act sometimes, one of them said oh hey sure list me as a contact. two minutes later...."I don't want the government calling my house". Lol, well everyone has their reasons, and I have to respect them. So I will probably just list my best friend as the last contact, who by chance actually just enlisted in the Marines.

[Zulu 36]

So they won't be calling my friends/family whoever i put on the original sf-86 that I turn in to them at the RS/MEPS. But when I get sent to that secret super fortress in Iraq that supposedly does not exist, I will be required to have a secret clearance. Lol, am I right? Obviously i wont get sent to a secret military installation, but i know what you meen about Areas Of Operation that require clearances. So no one listed on the original RS/MEPS received sf86 will be called? And just to tell you how rediculous my friends act sometimes, one of them said oh hey sure list me as a contact. two minutes later...."I don't want the government calling my house". Lol, well everyone has their reasons, and I have to respect them. So I will probably just list my best friend as the last contact, who by chance actually just enlisted in the Marines.
So, I didn't say anything of the sort about the SF-86 you'll turn in to the recruiter. You are assuming that.

Stop obsessing about the SF-86. If DSS calls on one of your goof-ball friends, sh*t happens. Both you and he just have to deal with it.