I've worked agency recruiting for 10 years. Placed a few candidates at LM and have sat in on debrief calls. Here's what their recruiter phone screen actually covers, because the online info is mostly vague.
The LM recruiter screen is usually 20-30 minutes. It's fairly standard but there are a few things that differ from commercial tech.
What they ask Walk me through your background. They want the condensed version. Don't ramble. Two minutes max. Citizenship and clearance status. This is usually question 2 or 3. They need to know early because clearance eligibility gates what they can even interview you for. US citizenship is required for most cleared or clearance-eligible roles. If you have an active clearance, say so clearly: Secret, TS, or TS/SCI, and when it was last adjudicated. Relocation. This is a hard question. A lot of LM positions are on-site at specific facilities (Fort Worth, Orlando, Bethesda, Moorestown, Sunnyvale, Littleton CO). They will ask directly if you're willing to relocate. Giving a soft 'maybe' usually ends the conversation. Why government / defense? They do ask this, even at the recruiter stage. Not in depth, but they're looking for candidates who aren't just defaulting to LM because commercial tech rejected them. They can tell when you have no answer. High-level role fit. They'll describe the team briefly and ask if the scope matches what you're looking for. This is your chance to ask basic questions.
What they don't ask No technical questions. No salary expectations at this stage (at least in my experience). They usually talk comp range later in the process.
Timeline after the screen Expect 5-10 business days before hearing about the next step. Their process is not fast. Don't read silence as rejection in week one.
If you pass, the next round is typically a technical phone screen or OA, depending on the role.