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 ...
"I enlisted in a deferred service program, near the end of my junior year of high school. Spent 2 years in the Navy Reserve, then was medicalled out and reclassified 4-F for a disqualifying congenital condition that the original enlisting doc had noted on my med records, but was overlooked. Two years later, time to go active & get a year of Electronics School, it was seen on there by the active duty physical doc, who took official notice of it.
I spent another 6 months in the Inactive Reserve fighting the discharge, and lost"
Now that is a military record to be proud of, President Reagan signed up for an army correspondence course in 1935, and enlisted in an army reserve calvary unit in 1937, Medical problems prevented him from doing what he wanted to do in the army, but I take his early actions during the thirties as absolute proof that he was a warrior that loved the military.
I always kind of like Robert Heinlein's idea of only granting citizenship status to people who had served in the armed forces. So, even if you were a native born citizen, you could not vote unless you served.
This isn't news. I was in the navy for 21 years. While I was at Great Lakes Naval Hospital Corps School, in 1986, my class had 50 people, including two Filipinos, two Jamaicans, two Australians, a Colombian, and a Canadian. One of the Filipinos became a U.S. citizen while he was in the school. The other immigrants graduated while they were still citizens of the other countries.
au contraire! When my gr grandfather walked across the Canadian border to the US in about 1850, he was able to get his citizenship by joining the Army to fight in the Civil War. I believe this has been going on for a long time.
Just another step toward the UN and no borders. Apparently, we the people are the only ones concerned about keeping Constitution. Sad.
We can rest assured, I trust, that he/she will authenticate the author's claim, as soon as he/she can be questioned between balloon tests and trips to Brooks burn center.The flaming destruction of a trial balloon is a traumatic event for all involved. When the burn treatment is complete they're transferred to the amnesia ward. :)
If they are struggling it is because of the PC fighting of this war.
Yep, during the "End of Empire" phase.
we will end up with a mexican army if they do that
But we can still kill people, so who cares?
"The military is meeting all recruiting goals....."
They recently had to lower the standards to keep meeting these goals.
We'd be better off with a draft than have a foreign mercenary Military.
Even better would be to reduce the ridiculous number of foreign entanglements and military committments the Globalists have gotten us into.
I agree, where did that come from?
Just fighting the wars Americans don't want to fight.
"What is this country coming to? Next we'll have a foreign legion."
Just doing the jobs that leftist Americans won't do....
My Family is doing our part, and over 100 of my towns 1200 residents have served overseas since 9/11....
That tels me that certain segments of society aren't doing thier part....
Damn R's again. Same poblem in Kindegaten!
It is hard work to meet those goals. I suspect it has ALWAYS been hard work.
I know they struggled back in the Seventies...lot of pressure on those recruiters...I know because I spent several weeks working with them after I got out of A School...cush duty...for me at least.
I disagree that is has to do with the method of prosecution of the war...I think it has more to do with the nature of the military, and the constant negativism from the MSM outlets.
We already have non-citizens in our armed forces, particularly in the Army.
There have been several ceremonies around here granting citizenship to veterans of the war in Iraq.
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