I interviewed with NSA beginning in the Spring of 2008, following my Iraq deployment. I received a Conditional Offer of Employment (COE) from the NSA in the summer of 2008. My DIA security clearance was of no help in my recruitment process with DIA, because NSA (and CIA) view DIA Security as being inferior. In part, NSA and CIA view DIA’s Security apparatus as inferior because DIA does not have a full-scope polygraph program. NSA and CIA do not play well with each other either, the Security apparatus at both agencies view themselves as superior to the other. NSA thinks its polygraphs are better than CIA and vice versa.
I have my NSA COE somewhere in my files, I will post it when I find it. COE’s are not worth the paper they are written on and are fake job offers, because you don’t get the job unless you pass Security and Medical screening, which takes at least 12 months (on the short end at CIA or NSA) and I’ve heard of people waiting for up to 3 years to be cleared by these agencies. I’m not sure why they bother killing trees issuing these COE’s.