A Controlled position in the PRP requires an
NACI or DNACI investigation within the past 5
years before assignment. Continued assignment
to a Controlled position is also allowed with an
update of the investigation.
Initial assignment in the program is interpreted
as the first time a person is screened and qualified
for the program, regardless of the position
occupied. Subsequent assignments in the PRP
require a reinvestigation under the following
conditions:
1.
2.
When the person has been out of the
program more than 5 years
When the requirements for the PRP
position currently being considered have
not been satisfied by an investigation within
the last 5 years
When military personnel have a break in
active duty of more than 1 year, investigations
completed before the break become invalid for
assignments to the PRP. However, they may be
used to determine if a person is eligible for a
clearance. Included are persons who transfer from
active duty into the Reserves for over a year and
then return to active duty. An investigation
completed in the previous tour of active duty is
also invalid for PRP assignments.
ACCESS TO
CLASSIFIED MATERIAL
The Department of Defense uses the simple
principle of circulation control to maintain
security of classified information. Circulation
control means that knowledge or possession of
classified information is permitted only by
persons requiring access in the interest of national
security. Only personnel who are eligible are
granted access.
No one is granted access to classified
information solely because of rank, position, or
a security clearance. The person authorized to
have possession,
knowledge, or control of
classified information has the final responsibility
for deciding whether a person requires access to
that information.
The preceding security precautions also apply
to access by another federal agency, a defense
contractor, a foreign government, or an organiza-
tion such as a command.
GRANTING ACCESS
Commanding officers have the authority to
grant access to classified information and are
responsible for the security of the information or
materials in their command. They may grant
access to classified information to persons who
have an official need to know or a valid security
clearance. They may also grant access if local
disqualifying information is unavailable about a
person.
The commanding officer should take the
following steps in granting access to a member
of a command:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Determine the level of access necessary for
the person to perform his or her official
duties (need to know).
Check the person’s official personnel
record and determine if he or she has, or
is eligible for, the proper clearance.
Review the available command records
and reports for possible disqualifying
information.
Grant the access and record it if the
person has the proper clearance and, dis-
qualifying information is unavailable.
Since granting access is a command respon-
sibility, access is terminated automatically when
the person transfers from the command, is
discharged, or is separated from federal service.
It is also terminated when a security clearance is
withdrawn, denied, or revoked for any reason.
When questionable or unfavorable informa-
tion becomes available on a person who has been
granted access, commanding officers may decide
to restrict or suspend access. They may use a
restriction or suspension of access for cause
only as a temporary measure until the person’s
eligibility for access is resolved.
LIMITED ACCESS AUTHORIZATION
Commanding officers may sometimes grant
access to classified information to a person who
is ineligible. The person maybe someone outside
the executive branch of the government or
someone who is otherwise ineligible for a security
clearance. Commanding officers may grant such
access only in the interest of national security.
Those commanding officers who decide to grant
access to such a person should submit a request
to CNO (OP-09N) for a limited access authoriza-
tion (LAA). The CNO (OP-09N) will accept LAA
9-43
