Originally Posted by Bart

I realize that the topic is about SSSS and security clearances. I am going to digress by sharing what I experience at the checkpoint from military and civilian members who possess security clearance. It seems that they are offended at the very notion of having to undergo any type of security screening. First of all, as stated previously, we have no way of verifying security clearances, and government hasn't found a way for the various different departments (e.g. Department of Defense, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security) to exchange security clearances in a consistent, smooth and efficient manner. It's all essentially done on a case-by-case basis involving a basic methodology of communicating clearances. This is different than someone from TSA, for example, tapping into a database and verifying someone's security clearance in advance before they process through the checkpoint (and I do NOT advocate such a move...I'm just illustrating how complicated this issue is).

I've had people with prohibited items (scissors---when they were prohibited---knives, tools, etc) argue that they had a secret security clearance or even top secret clearance and that they shouldn't even have to undergo screening. I understand the logic of what they're saying but not the practicality of what they're saying. They are, of course, only looking at it from a purely selfish perspective of being inconvenienced without looking at the big picture of how TSA can safely by-pass screening for some people and not for others.

Here is my "problem" for those who have security clearances and think they are above the law: as a counterintelligence special agent, my caseload was devoted exclusively to those with security clearances who were suspected of a wide variety of crimes ranging from security violations to conducting espionage against the United States. Never had a dry spell. Someone with a security clearance is ALWAYS doing something to draw scrutiny to his or her eligibity for continued trust and access to classified information. Not saying that everyone who has a security clearance shouldn't be trusted. Just saying that having a security clearance is not an automatic guarantee of trust.

It is why those of us who had clearances had to undergo periodic reinvestigations and, for a few of us, periodic polygraph examinations.

Me? I had a top secret clearance based on a special background investigation with access to multiple levels of sensistive compartmented information, special access programs and a variety of other compartmented programs.

Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. Those of you with super-duper secret security clearances need to get off your high horses and not take it so personally when we need to take a look inside your carry-on.