CA: Pledging allegiance - Governor salutes 207 military new citizens

OC Register ^ | 1/31/04 | Susan Gill Vardon

[NormsRevenge]

CAMP PENDLETON

[NormsRevenge]

After being sworn in as a U.S. citizen,
Marine Cpl. Benjamin Calderon of Vista, top left,
talks to the media as his wife, Ana, looks on.
His daughters Kikey, 8, center, and Nahy, 10, right,
were proud of their dad.

[NormsRevenge]

Here, this is a much better shot.

[SandRat]

PATRIOTS PING

[DumpsterDiver]

I'm curious, do you or don't you have to be a citizen before you can enlist? Or is being in the process of becoming a citizen (having a green card) enough?

[truth_seeker]

"I'm curious, do you or don't you have to be a citizen before you can enlist?"

You do not have to be a citizen.

[DumpsterDiver]

You do not have to be a citizen.

I'm going to Google, but if you know what the requirements are (or where I could look them up) would you mind posting them?

[DumpsterDiver]

Nevermind. I found what I was looking for:

While there is a statutory requirement that only a United States Citizen may become a commissioned officer, this is not true for enlistment. Certain non-citizens can enlist in the United States Armed Forces. To be eligible to enlist, a non-citizen must:

(1) Entered the United States on a permanent residence visa or has an Alien Registration Receipt Card (INS Form 1-551/I-551 greencard or stamped I-94), and

(2) Established a bona fide residence, and

(3) Established a home of record in the United States.

(4) The visa and/or "greencard" must have sufficient time remaining on it (expiration date) to be valid during the entire term on enlistment. While non-citizens may enlist in the U.S. Military, they are not allowed to re-enlist (stay in beyond their first term of service), unless they first become U.S. Citizens. However, after serving for three years, any additional residency requirement for citizenship eligibility can be waived.

I should note here that the United States Military cannot and will not assist in the immigration process. In order to join the U.S. Military, one must legally immigrate first, and then apply to join the military.

For enlistment purposes, citizens of the United States include citizens of: Guam, Puerto Rico, The U.S. Virgin Islands,The Northern Marianas Islands, American Samoa, The Federated States of Micronesia, and The Republic of the Marshall Islands.

Not all non-citizens may be eligible to enlist. Applicants who have been residents of countries considered hostile to the interests of the United States require a waiver. [snip]

While non-citizens may enlist, they will find their job choices extremely limited. DOD policy prohibits granting security clearances to non-U.S. Citizens. Therefore, non-Citizens. who enlist in the United States military will be limited to those jobs which do not require a security clearance.

[tpaine]

I served in the army with an ex-german soldier from WWII back in 56/57.

-- Feldman had been drafted at 16 by the german army in the closing days of WWII, and later was able to enter the USA thru family connections.
He volunteered in order to gain citizenship, and was stationed in my outfit in Munich.

Very popular GI, as he was originally from Bavaria, and knew all the local hot spots..

[DumpsterDiver]

Feldman had been drafted at 16 by the german army in the closing days of WWII,

Wow, the kid was young.

and later was able to enter the USA thru family connections.

Good news for him.

Very popular GI, as he was originally from Bavaria, and knew all the local hot spots..

And good news for you, too. ;^)

[tpaine]

I've read that some of the Volkstrum at wars end were as young as 12/13 years old..
In fact one of the last movies of Hitler was of him decorating a beardless lad outside his Berlin bunker. - Kid looked to be right out of gradeschool.