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Can someone with U.S. citizenship have dual citizenship? I thought that to gain U.S. citizenship, you had to renounce citizenship in any other country. Of course you can become a "permanent resident alien" without becoming a citizen.

From the US standpoint, you have to choose (or at least you did as of a few years ago, laws may have changed) citizenship. Children born with dual citizenship have to opt for one or the other when they turn 18.

However, other countries don't see it that way. Egypt (which is the country that pilot is from) doesn't allow you to give up your Egyptian citizenship. Once you have it, you're stuck with it. Same way with many Islamic countries, and many third world countries.

Occasionally you'll have an American college kid who will return to the country where they were born and will immediately get pulled into the army. Not much the US can do about it - even though the kid is an American citizen the other country still considers him "theirs".

Course the dual citizenship can be used for a lot of duplicitious purposes which I guess would come in handy if you're up to no good.

I am like you, Try2Discern. I thought that once one became a U.S. citizen that they relinquished citizenship of any other country. That is just one of the things that has me so confused about this pilot!

I have a friend who is a citizen of Australia. She just became a US citizen last month. My understanding is she has dual citizenship. Also around Boston there are many who have Irish citizenship. Irish passports too.