Summary
A 51-year-old male applicant was denied a security clearance under Guideline G (Alcohol Consumption) due to a long history of excessive alcohol use. This history included multiple hospitalizations for detoxification in August 1994, July 2002, March 2003, July 2003, and the Spring of 2004, as well as a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) conviction in 2000.
The applicant had been diagnosed as alcohol dependent and received treatment on several occasions, but subsequently resumed excessive drinking. While he had been abstinent for over one year and expressed a commitment to sobriety, the judge found this insufficient to mitigate the security concerns.
Ultimately, the applicant's alcohol problems were deemed unresolved, and it was determined to be too soon to conclude that he had mitigated the security concerns arising from his lengthy history of excessive alcohol consumption. The decision highlighted his limited amenability to rehabilitation despite personal tragedies that exacerbated his drinking.
Why the applicant was denied
- The applicant has a long history of excessive alcohol consumption, including multiple hospitalizations for detoxification.
- He was diagnosed as alcohol dependent on several occasions and resumed drinking after treatment.
- The applicant's commitment to sobriety was deemed insufficient to mitigate the security concerns.
Conditions referenced
- E2.A7.1.2.1raisedAlcohol-related Incidents Away From Work
- E2.A7.1.3raisedDiagnosis by a Credentialed Medical Professional of Alcohol Abuse or Alcohol Dependence
- E2.A7.1.2.5raisedHabitual or Binge Consumption of Alcohol to the Point of Impaired Judgment
- E2.A7.1.2.6raisedConsumption of Alcohol, Subsequent to a Diagnosis of Alcoholism by a Credentialed Medical Professional and Following Completion of an Alcohol Rehabilitation Program
- E2.A7.1.3.1appliedThe Alcohol-related Incidents Do Not Indicate a Pattern
- E2.A7.1.3.2rejectedThe Problem Occurred a Number of Years Ago and There Is No Indication of a Recent ProblemThe applicant's alcohol problem continued until at least 2004.
- E2.A7.1.3.3appliedPositive Changes in Behavior Supportive of Sobriety
Key rule quoted
“The adjudicative process is an examination of a sufficient period of a person's life to make an affirmative determination that the person is eligible for a security clearance.”
Procedural posture
- SOR issuedJun 14, 2005
- Answer filedJul 7, 2005
- Hearing heldNov 18, 2005
- Decision dateMar 3, 2006
Cite for
- Denial of Clearance Due to Long History of Alcohol Dependency
- Impact of Recent Sobriety on Security Clearance Eligibility
- Consideration of Personal Circumstances in Alcohol-related Cases