Posted on 12/26/2006 10:03:00 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
WASHINGTON -- The armed forces, already struggling to meet recruiting goals, are considering expanding the number of noncitizens in the ranks -- including disputed proposals to open recruiting stations overseas and putting more immigrants on a faster track to US citizenship if they volunteer -- according to Pentagon officials.
Foreign citizens serving in the US military is a highly charged issue, which could expose the Pentagon to criticism that it is essentially using mercenaries to defend the country. Other analysts voice concern that a large contingent of noncitizens under arms could jeopardize national security or reflect badly on Americans' willingness to serve in uniform.
The idea of signing up foreigners who are seeking US citizenship is gaining traction as a way to address a critical need for the Pentagon, while fully absorbing some of the roughly one million immigrants that enter the United States legally each year.
The proposal to induct more noncitizens, which is still largely on the drawing board, has to clear a number of hurdles. So far, the Pentagon has been quiet about specifics -- including who would be eligible to join, where the recruiting stations would be, and what the minimum standards might involve, including English proficiency. In the meantime, the Pentagon and immigration authorities have expanded a program that accelerates citizenship for legal residents who volunteer for the military.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Huh?
This is exactly what ancient Romans started to do at certain point of their history.
One word.........Gukhas.
I thought the military was meeting recruiting goals with little problem.
Of course, the Boston Globe is a mite prejudice.
Why don't we just start with some billets first. I would have stayed in past 20 if they had an E8 and E9 billet for me.....
Send all recruiters to Mexico. If all of them are coming here to work and take our benefits, then they need to do their sure of protecting this great nation by serving in the military.
This is how the Roman Empire did it.
The Military is meeting all recruiting goals and Bryan is an idiot.
It beats the hell out of granting citizenship to illegal aliens for successfully avoiding getting picked up while using someone else's social security number.
Stationing it in Gitmo or Guam or other American territory would be the perfect solution then.
Nothing New Here.
Why is this news?
The Philippines supplies hundreds of recruits each year, and have been doing so for decades.
Mexicans are probably next.
Lots of foreigners in the services now. They can apply for citizenship after they get an honorable discharge.
I guess the MSM and the Boston Globe have given up trying to say that the US Military is not meeting their recruiting goals, and decided to attack what they might do.
We had a foreign legion until the First World War. Most Americans until that time considered the regular military Scum or lower. Except in times of National Emergency most Americans considered enlisted service as living among the scum of the earth, Federal Parasites.
I thought the military met it's goals or
had exceeded them.
http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,Defensewatch_012104_Foreign,00.html
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/109322_legion23.shtml
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1002406/posts
I love it when a silly notion is transformed in to liberal news! The Boston Globe is a master of BS!
Not unheard off... a lot of mercenaries fought on the right side during the War of Independance.
Well it's about time that "undocumented workers" started pulling their weight.
Hell, I'd have no problem with allowing illegals amnesty if they enlisted. Worst case we can always use labor battalions farmed out to the states for interstate highway maintenance.
Hey, there's an idea here ....hmmm.
Didn't have to read any further to get the jest of this editorial crap.
This really is a slick twist on the reporters part.
I was present in Subic when a whole bunch of Philipinos were sworn in. The biggest impediment to recruiting foreigners is that the recruit must pass an english competency exam and have certain character references.
I don't think those rules will be relaxed.
But as far as I know, all services take foreigners that can pass the reqs.
That's why I say, Why is this News?
"Most Americans until that time considered the regular military Scum or lower."
Kind of like we how consider journalists these days.
Yea, then even "name, rank, and serial number" would be a frustration to those who take them as prisoner.
"we how"?
And we all know how well that worked out.
When the barbarians guard the gates....
The funny thing is seeing the older reserves, guard and out of shape personnel in the military now. There was a discussion today about the folks now serving....
The opening statement isn't factual. The rest of the article is based on a falsehood. Typical treason from the left wing press.
What they need to do is to make the military an attractive place for people to volunteer for. Patriotic young adults are in good supply, but the military is saddled with a lot of PC baggage that makes it unattractive. It's also an increasingly high tech, skill oriented line of work. Why is some guy who can make another $50k in salary on the outside put up with being treated like a chump by his unit? The Army in particular has a horrificly inept HR and finance system. Motivated patriotic people looking for adventure instead find bureaucracy, apathy and incompetence from their organization, and tend to drift away.
Almost every one of the best soldiers I've worked with drifted away, because they felt out of place in the increasingly nanny-like Army. You want skilled, motivated warriors, you need to earn them. You want cheap labor who will put up with incompetent leadership, you need to outsource.
Our recruiting problems are a lot more systemic than the raw numbers indicate. Thats why the generals are exploring other options. They can see the writing on the wall.
Exactly!...If they don't have a story they'll report what they "think" the story will be.
perfect. Grant the beaners amnesty if they serve 6 years.
Correct on all points. Anybody who volunteers to fight for this country deserves to become a citizen.
>Next we'll have a foreign legion.
A great idea. Be based in places such as American Samoa, USVI and other places not on US soil. They operate with no media disclosures, so "jobs" can be "accomplished" before they become big problems.
5 yrs and you get US citizenship.
OK, cue the Visigoths!
Thanks for the clarification. The news reports on recruiting is confusing.
signing up foreigners who are seeking US citizenship
This is exactly what ancient Romans started to do at certain point of their history.
More recent history is Germany. Wasn't even the SS was largely foreign by end of war?
It's the Boston Globe
The paper that is still pulling for King George III to win
"including disputed proposals to open recruiting stations overseas "
Between 1960 and 1975 more than 7 million men enlisted (another 2 million were drafted), although we have a much larger population now, the young men today don't seem as patriotic as the were during the sixties.
We have already changed the standards to bring in females to replace the males that won't go, and even to allow some of the youngest baby boomers in on their first enlistments, to serve among their many other boomer active duty, and prior service veterans.
How did we get to the point where with 300 million people, and a lot of overt, wave flagging patriotism we can't find enough young men to fill our army and marine needs.
The army even tried a blue to green program where, since the navy and air force are laying off personnel, they could transfer to the army, but there were almost no takers.
Maybe we have become more like France or Canada, where we have a small but dedicated pool of courageous young men to draw from, while the larger pool is too fearful or indifferent.
I think Filipinos, Mexicans, and many other nationalities would leap at the chance for U.S. citizenship in exchange for service in the military or a foreign legion. The Philippines and India should be two of our main recruiting targets, as many of the locals speak English already.
"Those N_____s and whiskey swilling Irish scum, seized my property....., I think he was pissed, considering he had a tainted deed from a whiskey swilling Indian.
Since when are they "struggling to meet recruiting goals"? Everything report I've heard in the last few years has said they've met or exceeded recruiting goals every quarter.
A lot of us who volunteered back then, were (at least partially) motivated by the draft.
Draftees did not get choices that volunteers did, as fast as Service entered, service shools, various alternative time-plans (i.e. 2-2-2-2: Res-Active-Res-Inactive Res etc.) or trade offs of total time Active in exchange for immediate service, etc.
Draftees got Hobson's choice, and Hobson was a notoriously capricious Assignments Clerk in the Practical Joke Department.
IOW, there were distinct advantages to volunteering, as opposed to being drafted; and drafting was fairly likely.
I thought the military was meeting recruiting goals with little problem.This quote sourced to Lieutenant Colonel Bryan Hilferty, may explain why they are making their recruiting goals.
That has led Pentagon officials to consider casting a wider net for noncitizens who are already here, said Lieutenant Colonel Bryan Hilferty , an Army spokesman.I wouldn't write this off as slanted journalism. The following quote from the article shows that at least the American Enterprise Institute is looking at it.
"It works as a military idea and it works in the context of American immigration," said Thomas Donnelly , a military scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute in Washington and a leading proponent of recruiting more foreigners to serve in the military.
Testify!!! When I was trying to volunteer to stay in the desert (and then, after that didn't work, to return) I ran up against the Army bureaucracy at its worst. Bureaucracies are trained for "normal" situations-war doesn't fit as "normal", but the bureaucracy can't adjust and it causes huge problems.
No way should service in the military become a way to sell citizenship. This certainly can provide a great way to infiltrated our military and our society.
This country won its independence largely at the hands of foreigners. A goodly portion of the officers who trained and led the nascent American army and navy were foreign mercenaries.
Likening the plight of the American republic to the Roman Empire is simply intellectual laziness.
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