Serious debt can harm more than credit score Published May 7, 2010 By Wayne Crenshaw 78 ABW/PA ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Financial problems can be painful in many ways, but for Robins employees who fail to pay their bills it can be more costly than they think. The majority of employees must have a security clearance reinvestigation every five to 10 years, depending on their position. By far the most consistent problem found in reinvestigations is financial troubles, said Michael Harnage, director of information protection. Serious money problems are considered a security threat because they can raise questions about whether an employee is trustworthy. The employee can also be subject to the temptation of accepting payment to turn over classified or controlled information. However, those who may have hit a hard patch are given some leeway as long as they are making a concerted effort to pay creditors. Harnage stressed it is critical for people to address their financial problems well before they are due for a reinvestigation. "If they don't have a plan or don't intend to satisfy those debts, the likelihood of retaining a clearance is very remote," Harnage said. Therefore, everyone who works at Robins needs to be aware that financial problems could impact their future here. Security specialist Lynn Dalrymple said the Air Force takes into consideration that people can run into financial problems through no fault of their own, such as medical bills. However, she said in cases she has examined, it is far more like that people have simply not been responsible about paying their debts. Out of 923 security investigations in 2009, 77 had financial issues. Of those, six had their security clearances revoked or were not given a clearance as new hires. While it is an ongoing issue, there's a reason why it is of particular concern in the near future. Approximately 10 years ago, a moratorium on security clearance investigations was lifted and approximately 4,000 were submitted at Robins in a short period of time. Within six months to a year, those people will all be due for a reinvestigation. With a big bubble of investigations approaching, a significant number of employees could have clearance issues. "The potential is that we could have a whole group of people pulled away from their duties pending resolution and that could severely affect the mission capability," Harnage said. He urges people who know they have financial issues to take action immediately. They can get help through the Employee Assistance Program or by contacting the Airman & Family Readiness Center, which offers financial counseling. Even if people do not believe they have financial issues, they should still check their credit report to make sure there is no erroneous information or that they haven't been victims of identity theft. Employees who have further questions should contact their supervisor or unit security manager, Harnage said. "In the end, each member, military or civilian, is responsible for being clearance worthy," he said. "Starting now to address potentially disqualifying issues will go a long way if the time comes to defend your case, in a security clearance hearing."