anon99 wrote on Jan 17^th, 2003 at 5:48am:

I have experimented with marijuana in the past (under 15 times within a span of 5 years).  I *did not* record this in my security forms; this is because my family was present for every subtlety of the forms and it would have been too difficult for me. As I see it, I have 4 options:   (1) Call the NSA right now and ask them to make a note on my security forms.  I fear they would make me fill them out again entirely.  I know for a fact that I am competing with 2 other people and the first one to complete the background check/polygraph to get the clearance gets the job.  So redoing the forms at this point would be the end of any chance I have. (2) Tell the polygraph examiner right away. (3) Tell the polygraph examiner after we go over the questions. (4) Lie on the exam and then make an admission during the interrogation.  This may sound crazy, but if I make an admission perhaps the examiner will be more inclined to believe I am telling the truth and have done no serious drugs?  I have read that if no read admissions are made, the examiner can become suspicious. Right now I think going with option (2) gives me the best chance, of course I am not sure otherwise I wouldn't be making this post  :-X

I'll be honest with you, anon99, I believe you've put yourself in a very difficult spot.

First of all, I would advise you against numbers 2, 3 and 4.  Making an explicit admission during the polygraph that you omitted significant information on your security forms and failed to immediately correct the omissions, I believe, would most likely point you out as untrustworthy and be disqualifying.

Second, the NSA polygraph specifically asks about illegal drug use over the last five years only.  However, you will also specifically be asked about falsification on your security forms.  

Now, as to your options.  If you are young (only a little over 18), you might want to double-check the criteria for answers on your SF86 form.  IIRC, they ask for information going back to your 18th birthday.  You might have an "out" if the drug use happened before then.  Again, you should double-check the instructions -- drug use may be different.

Another possibility you could consider would be to withdraw your application, take another position for a few years, then re-apply.  Under such conditions, you could make a plausible case that your decision to withhold information regarding experimentation with drugs was a bad decision resulting from youthful immaturity.  IOW, you could put some time between yourself and the mistake.

If you don't want to do the above, I feel your best option is to  contact the NSA immediately and inform them of the omission, as well as the reason for it.  Do so by telephone and with an email followup.  This would demonstrate the most responsibility and trustworthiness, in my view.

Regardless, I strongly advise you against lying about your drug history, especially if it is known to anyone else.

And now, a caution: you should be aware that NSA might consider your failure to disclose this initially as disqualifying on trustworthiness grounds in any case.  They might also see your desire to keep information regarding your drug history from your family as something about which you could be blackmailed, which could also be disqualifying.

The decision of what to do must be yours, of course.  Take my advice for what it is worth -- I am not an employee of the NSA (though I recently went through the hiring process and did a fair amount of research about what NSA/DSS uses as criteria).    

Skeptic