The Operation of Personnel Security Programs

• Author: Ralph S. Brown
• Published date: 01 July 1955
• Date: 01 July 1955
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/000271625530000114
• Subject Matter: Articles

The Operation of Personnel Security Programs
By RALPH S. BROWN, JR.
THE federal government operates under Executive Order 10450. I shall
five distinct security programs,
describe the main stages in a case, giv-
along with some minor loyalty pro-
ing special attention to the role of a new
grams and tests we shall not be able to
and powerful figure in government, the
discuss at all.
The important ones
security officer.
cover:
INVESTIGATION
1. Civilian government employees.
This is the one we hear most about. It
A distinctive characteristic of federal
affects 2,400,000 people.
programs is their routine resort to in-
2. The armed forces-a million more
vestigation-a laborious and expensive
numerous than the civilian employees.
process-and their correspondingly slight
3. Defense Department contractors
reliance on oaths and other declarations
and their employees requiring access to
by the employee or his superiors. Of
classified material (Confidential, Secret,
course the employee supplies a detailed
etc. ) .
personal history when he first applies
4. Atomic Energy Commission con-
for a position; but the information that
tractors in similar circumstances.
the employee supplies is used chiefly as
5. Sailors and water-front workers,
a starting point for investigation.
under the supervision of the Coast
Name check
Guard.
These last three programs directly
The first step is a &dquo;national-agency
affect some 3,000,000 people who are
name check,&dquo; which means an examina-
not government employees at all. The
tion chiefly of the files of the Federal
consequences of being held a security
Bureau of Investigation, the Civil Serv-
risk vary. If you are a government em-
ice Commission, the military intelligence
ployee or a career military man, you
branches, and the House Committee on
will probably be dismissed. But if you
Un-American Activities.
The purpose
were drafted, you will probably be kept
of this file check is to see if any &dquo;derog-
in service at the lowest rank; you may
atory information&dquo; turns up. What is
get an unfavorable discharge. If you
&dquo;derogatory information&dquo;? Anything, it
are a maritime worker, you probably
may be said, that bears directly or in-
have to find another occupation alto-
directly on the ultimate question to be
gether. If you have been working on a
resolved: Is the employment consistent
defense contract, your employer may
with the national security? And what
find other work for you, or he may fire
has a bearing on this standard? This
you.
question raises intricate problems of
There are also differences in the oper-
relevance. It is fair to say that these
ation of the various programs. But the
problems are not faced at the name-
basic pattern is the same; and since I
check stage. The process seems to be
do not have time to develop the dif-
increasingly mechanical, with some safe-
ferences here, I shall address myself
guards against mistakes in identity.
chiefly to the program we know most
Affiliations with suspect organizations,
about, the one for civilian employees
associations with suspect persons, re-
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95
ports of behavior, expression, and opin-
Four factors militate against this pic-
ions that have been filed because they
ture of detached, impersonal transmis-
suggest sympathy with Communism, all
sion of information. First is the im-
are extracted.
As the files grow more
perfection of the interviewer, which of
voluminous, and the kinds of informa-
course varies with the capacity and pre-
tion that are considered grow more ex-
dilections of each individual. Investi-
tensive, the chances increase that derog-
gators take only sketchy notes, if any,
atory information will be found. These
during an interview; there are many
untested data of themselves may lead to
instances of interviewees who claim to
the rejection of a mere aspirant for
have been misrepresented. Second is
employment, but routinely their dis-
the fallibility inherent when the &dquo;raw&dquo;
covery leads to a &dquo;full field investiga-
files are edited to produce the finished
tion.&dquo; Even without the appearance of
report. Third (related to both the fore-
adverse material in the file check, the
going stages) is an almost unavoid-
present program requires a full field
able stress on unfavorable information.
investigation for every sensitive posi-
Though FBI reports are said to include
tion, a category that has been gener-
whatever favorable material has been
ously defined. For example, all State
elicited, the primary object of the in-
Department employment is considered
vestigation, after all, is to discover if
sensitive.
there is evidence of disloyalty or of se-
curity risk.
&dquo;FBI report&dquo;
The fourth factor involves a policy
In such an investigation, &dquo;Friends,
that overshadows the entire process, the
neighbors, fellow students, fellow employ-
concealment of the identity of many of
ees, teachers and colleagues, even one’s
the FBI’s sources. This is not the point
grocer or one’s hairdresser may be inter-
at which to discuss the justification and
viewed
i
Another round of file check-
ramifications of this policy. It is un-
ing must also occur, for as the names of
questioned that concealment of the
more of the employee’s associates come
source is widely practiced, whether the
to be known, it is considered necessary
source is an undercover agent whom it
to establish whether there is derogatory
would be hazardous to expose, a wire
information .about them. The result of
tap that is sub rosa, or simply a casual
all this industry is a report popularly
informant who does not wish his role
known as an &dquo;FBI report,&dquo; though the
to be known. The FBI protects them
FBI is not responsible for all the in-
all and does undertake an evaluation of
vestigative reports that are assembled.
the reliability of the informant. If it
The composition of these reports is
did not, the anonymous information
one of the most controversial aspects of
could be given scarcely any independent
the process.
The FBI, the agency
weight. So the report...