This thread is maintained by the National Security Council to designate the appropriate classification to information pertinent to national security. This includes intelligence generated by the United States Defense Force, its personnel, or received through foreign entities and/or agents. Confidential information protected through Operational Security (OPSEC) will be ranked based on the degree of sensitivity such information holds. This sensitivity is a calculation based on the threat to national security.
The purpose of this system is to ensure that the standards of security and governing access to and safeguard of classified material is applied in accordance with this system. Eligibility for access to classification levels will be determined by the Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Secretary of Defense. Agents with the appropriate clearance will be designated and approved by the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense.
Reception of Intelligence
All incoming intelligence, verifiable or not, is considered strictly classified and may only be shared by authorized and cleared personnel until a classification level can be designated. Intelligence information received, either false or validated, is to be forwarded to the NSA. The sharing of any information given to anyone other than the NSA, or the National Security Council, is considered a breach of secrecy. All personnel are expected to treat any intelligence received as sensitive and not to be shared.If the intelligence contains personally identifiable information (PII), it is to be reported only to the NSA. The only exception is if the intelligence information contains information pertaining to The Secretary or Deputy Secretary of Defense, in which the information is to be reported directly to them.
Please be advised that any PII received will be destroyed and only heavily redacted copies will be kept as evidence if it displays the individual distributing the information. No PII will be kept on file.
Requesting Information
Any requests for public information are to be directed to the DPA, unless they specifically invoke foreign affairs, in which case they are to be directed to the DIRSA. If the request regards security matters, it should be directed to the Intelligence Portfolio.Classification System
The United States Defense Force currently holds 5 differing levels of classification:
Under no circumstances may ANY clearance level be breached - this will be dealt with equally in concordance with UCMJ Article 17a.
The United States Defense Force currently holds 5 differing levels of classification:
| SCI |
| Top Secret |
| Secret |
| Confidential |
| Unclassified |
| SCI |
| This is the highest level of clearance designated to any personnel. It refers to information restricted to the National Security Council of the USDF and its pre-authorized agents, also known as Sensitive Compartmentalized Information. If the intelligence contains personal identifiable information, it is to be reported to ONLY the NSA. SCI clearance uses compartments to classify information on a "need to know" basis and is classified at a codeword level with all offices using classified codewords to mark documents as SCI intelligence. Only those cleared for those codewords are granted access to this intelligence. Automatically cleared personnel: - National Security Council - Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security This classification level may be discretionary and compartmentalized to disseminate specific highly classified information to specific authorized personnel only. |
| TOP SECRET |
| This is the fourth level of classification of information obtained or created by the USDF. Information is classified as top secret when its disclosure could cause grave damage to national security. Top Secret intelligence refers to intelligence or information that may necessarily not need to be marked or protected with codeword clearance or at the SCI level but is highly sensitive information that is typically available to only AD+ or at the Director level. Examples include:
|
| SECRET |
| This is the third level of classification of information obtained or created by the USDF. Information is classified as secret when its disclosure could cause damage to national security. Any interview, briefing or questioning between any individual and a member of senior command is automatically considered OPSEC unless deemed otherwise. Examples include:
- National Security Council - Office of the Secretary of Defense |
| CONFIDENTIAL |
Examples include:
- Relevant Chain of Command |
| UNCLASSIFIED |
This is the lowest level of classification of information obtained or created by the USDF. It is not technically a classification. It refers to information that can be released to individuals freely, without clearance. Examples include:
|
Classifying Information
All OPSEC material must be assigned a clearance level. Any interview, briefing or questioning between any individual and a member of senior command is automatically considered OPSEC unless deemed otherwise. A classifying agent, as designated by the Secretary or Deputy Secretary of Defense, must determine the appropriate classification level of incoming or created information, as well as the reason information must be classified. A method of declassification must be determined as to how and when the information can be declassified into lower classification levels. Incorporating, paraphrasing, or restating classified information in a new form will retain its original classification level. Automatically cleared personnel are only automatically cleared through the relevant chain of command.
Information that requires a classification level will be marked to denote its classification level. Information without a marking is considered unclassified. The remaining classification levels are denoted as follows: © for Confidential, (S) for Secret, (TS) for Top Secret, and (Y) for SCI.
SCI information will be marked with the relevant codeword to reflect the compartment of the SCI information internally. SCI compartments are assigned to individuals and groups to disseminate certain information.
Security Clearance
Approved - The personnel has been successfully cleared for the position.
Nullified - The personnel was not vetted for the position (i.e member was not shortlisted for the position).
Rejected - The personnel was not cleared for the position.
Rescinded - The personnel is no longer cleared for a position they once had clearance for.
ATTENTION: The vetting bodies of the National Intelligence portfolio will not respond to inquiries about wait times or rejected clearances. You are encouraged to re-apply for clearance should you receive a rejection. Clearance results are not permanent and may be granted, revoked or changed at the discretion of the JSIG, CDR SOCOM, USD I&S or the NSA. Any inquiries about utilizing the clearance process can be directed to the JSD member of the position or an OSD member should it pertain to SOAB/FGOAB.
Please note the security clearance procedure demonstrates whether personnel are authorized for their request. It does not guarantee any appointments or selections. All appointments and selections are at the discretion of the JSD, OSD & NSC.
Information that requires a classification level will be marked to denote its classification level. Information without a marking is considered unclassified. The remaining classification levels are denoted as follows: © for Confidential, (S) for Secret, (TS) for Top Secret, and (Y) for SCI.
SCI information will be marked with the relevant codeword to reflect the compartment of the SCI information internally. SCI compartments are assigned to individuals and groups to disseminate certain information.
DEFCON Levels and Intelligence Missions
The DEFCON, or Defense Readiness Condition, level within USDF is a measure of the risk of war and amount of alert advised for personnel. USDF's DEFCON level is continually updated and denoted by the color of a designated sticky note within the USDF HQ. The levels are only modifiable by the SecDef and outlined below:| DEFCON Level/ Sticky Color | Description | Definitions |
| GREEN | Normal | Military operations remain normal; the lowest state defense readiness. |
| BLUE | Elevated Risk | Increased intelligence watch and security measures; above normal defense readiness. |
| YELLOW | High Risk | War is imminent; maximum intelligence watch and security measures, high level defense readiness. |
| PURPLE | War-time | State of war; military operations suspended, maximum defensive and offensive readiness. |
Security Clearance
The goal of the Security Clearance System is to enhance transparency to the vetting and security process that exists within the United States Defense Force. The clearance procedure is carried out by assigned members of the National Intelligence portfolio, under the direction of the NSA and the USD I&S. All positions requiring clearance will require the form to be filled out **without exception**.
Procedure
When applying for a position, personnel will utilize the Request Clearance module on the PTS. All sections must be filled out for the request to be processed. Clearance is required for the following:
Procedure
When applying for a position, personnel will utilize the Request Clearance module on the PTS. All sections must be filled out for the request to be processed. Clearance is required for the following:
Applications will state clearly whether or not personnel are required to apply for clearance when applying. Clearance cannot be applied for early and should be submitted at the same time as the application. If a member is applying for multiple positions, they must create a request for each. However, different positions within the same office can be under the same request. Clearance records will appear on the PTS profile of the member under the ‘clearance’ tab. This is not public information and can only be viewed by the individual and the National Intelligence committee responsible for the clearance procedure.
Approved - The personnel has been successfully cleared for the position.
Nullified - The personnel was not vetted for the position (i.e member was not shortlisted for the position).
Rejected - The personnel was not cleared for the position.
Rescinded - The personnel is no longer cleared for a position they once had clearance for.
ATTENTION: The vetting bodies of the National Intelligence portfolio will not respond to inquiries about wait times or rejected clearances. You are encouraged to re-apply for clearance should you receive a rejection. Clearance results are not permanent and may be granted, revoked or changed at the discretion of the JSIG, CDR SOCOM, USD I&S or the NSA. Any inquiries about utilizing the clearance process can be directed to the JSD member of the position or an OSD member should it pertain to SOAB/FGOAB.
Please note the security clearance procedure demonstrates whether personnel are authorized for their request. It does not guarantee any appointments or selections. All appointments and selections are at the discretion of the JSD, OSD & NSC.
