Friday, September 7, 2018
TSA Pre-Check?
I found out recently that apparently US State Department and DOD employees with security clearances automatically get access to the TSA Pre-Check expedited airport screening lines. As far as I'm aware, that's not the case for LLNL employees with clearances and, presumably, not the case for cleared LANL employees, either. Anyone know what the story here is? The only thing that I can think of is that we're not directly employed by the US government. Still seems that we should be automatically eligible for TSA access if we have clearances, though.
-Doug
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20 comments:
Maybe as simple as DOE lab employees are not government employees and DOD lab employees are. Given trading the near double salary of being a contractor over a GS scale worker, standing on line for TSA is not a big deal.
I am retired from LLNL (13 years) and I have always been confused that I and my wife get TSA precheck even though I have never applied or paid for it. We are NOT frequent fliers these days but I have often wondered if it was because of the clearances I once had.
Why would salary have anything to do with standing in a TSA line?
I am a retired LANL employee with 30+ years of a Q clearance. I still get pre-check about 90% of the time I fly, having never enrolled.
If you have a DOE TS//SCI, you have an eligibility number for TSA precheck. It is probably negotiated directly between the relevant agency and DHS, and varies based on the clearance level and background check processes, which are subtly different from agency to agency.
SCI clearance holders get TSA PreCheck.
For DOE folks that want TSA precheck because they have a Q-clearance, enroll and pay for it yourself like the rest of us "regular" people. It's $80 for 5 years. Big deal.
I have an active Q and maybe receive TSA Pre on my business trips to Chicago on United about 50% of the time.
https://www.tsa.gov/travel/frequently-asked-questions/how-can-i-opt-tsa-precheck-dod-civilian
DoD federal civilian employees must opt-in to TSA Pre✓® by visiting the milConnect website. After selecting the “My Profile” and the “CIV” menu tab when logged into the website, users will be guided through the opt-in process for TSA Pre✓®. Civilian employees need to opt-in only once. Members of the U.S. Armed Forces do not need to opt-in.
September 8, 2018 at 7:53 AM
What an uninformed comment . If you think that your 80$ pay for the background check for your TSA pre-appoval status, you are sadly mistaken. It would save the govt a lot of money if they would just give the TSA precheck to any holder of a L, Q or TS clearance.
Also standing in line is actually time lost, where we could do something more productive.
You overpaid spoiled children. I don’t know who is worse! The people who complain about paying the $80 for a service or the NNSA/DOE Feds who had to take away two paid vacation days in the new LANL contract?
3:59. How is the right to enter an airport terminal without being molested by TSA agents a “service”? I’d prefer to have the Constitution respected without having to pay $80, thank you very much. Thanks for the ad hominem attack. It shows the true strength of your argument.
September 11, 2018 at 3:59 AM
Not sure I understand your argument about loosing the holidays. If you want to attract good people to NM you need to offer something more than Walmart is doing. We can actually already see at LANL the decline in the quality of people applying for a job, at least in my area which is basic science.
"We can actually already see at LANL the decline in the quality of people applying for a job, at least in my area which is basic science."
Oh please, what makes you think you can judge what "quality" people are. Remember LANL is a weapons lab, the regular rules for what makes good science or bad science no longer apply therefore the standards rules of what constitutes good quality scientists no longer applies. Now maybe when we still did testing the rules of good science and good scientists apply but we are in a new age.
Look try and have a conversation with any high level manager about "quality" of any kind and you left with stares are arguments about how LANL is somehow different so the definition of quality used everywhere else in the entire world does not apply. I am not sure Triad can change this but I doubt NNSA cares. NNSA cares about not having accidents, incidents or allegations.
Remember LANL is a weapons lab, the regular rules for what makes good science or bad science no longer apply therefore the standards rules of what constitutes good quality scientists no longer applies. Now maybe when we still did testing the rules of good science and good scientists apply but we are in a new age.
September 12, 2018 at 8:53 PM
You are obviously not a scientist and so have no idea what you are talking about regarding "good science or bad science." But keep blathering about stuff you don't understand - it keeps us scientists entertained.
LANL is a weapons lab and. LDRD sucks off the teet of weapons programs. Basic science should go back to universities unless there are specific capabilities at LANL that aren’t elsewhere. I suspect you could do basic science cheaper
And faster somewhere else.
I suspect you could do basic science cheaper
And faster somewhere else.
September 13, 2018 at 8:26 PM
You "suspect." Well, that's great, Inspector Clouseau. Carry on. Let us know when you obtain an actual fact.
Ok, 5:34 p.m., here's a FACT. The cost of a scientist at LANL is burdened at 42% for fringe benefits, 86% overhead for non defense programs, 75% non-national security programs, 76% weapons; program office suport varies from 8-15%, GRT 3.6%, G&A 8%, safeguards and security offset 4.3%, LANS fee 3%, and finally LDRD 6%. Grand total =~150%. Equipment and supplies ~19%.
Burdened means indirect costs Inspector Clouseau, you know to pay for benefits, heat/water, LDRD, support services, upper management, miscellaneous other folks. Googling indirect costs for universities, looks like anywhere from 45-75%.
Therefore, the cost of doing business at LANL is >2x than that of a University.
And you left out the analysis of whether the extra costs with LANL vs a university are worth it. How about the ability to do classified work, the ability for multi-disciplinary work , the ability to do conjoined theoretical and experimental work in the same facility? You left a lot out of your simplistic, superficial analysis. Typical of a non-scientist.
Actually, I am a scientist, nice try. My point being, R&D is cheaper at a University unless there is a unique capability that LANL offers that others do not.
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