Posted on 12/27/2006 5:47:37 AM PST by Kimberly GG
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."........
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
IMO, IT'S TIME TO TAKE BACK AMERICA!!
Posted yesterday. Keep in mind this is the Boston Globe reporting this.
Relax, it's the Boston Globe spinning.
Start with the first false statement: "The armed forces, already struggling to meet recruiting goals..."
That's not a false statement. When you need to up the maximum enlistment age into the 40s, and offer tax free bonuses in the tens of thousands of dollars in order to break even, that's a struggle. Go talk to any Army recruiter and ask how much pressure he's under to make mission.
The fact that we're considering foreign mercenaries only shows that the generals understand that they can't keep lowering standards and raising bonuses forever.
The fact that you believe the Boston Globe's version of things is distrubing.
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20060913-112353-8168r.htm
The median age in the US is now 36.5 yo, and rising quickly.
Think :
The Romans recruited Gauls and Germans;
The French recruited the Foreign Legion;
The British recruited Ghurkas;
Sometimes you can't do it all alone; and history shows there's unusual about an 'empire' recruiting help to maintain the frontiers;
Many immigrants join for the fast-track to citizenship. It cuts the time requirement for citizenship from 7 years to 3 years.
I've served with people from Central and South America, one from Vietnam, had a soldier that was from Nigeria, went to basic with a guy from Iran, and Airborne school with one from Canada who quit their army to join ours. I also remember a story where a whole tank crew of immigrants (one was Scottish, I remember) were killed when their Abrams rolled into an Iraqi canal. Immigrants are nothing new to the U.S. Army.
Hey, if Americans are too spoiled to serve in our army, then why not take them from elsewhere? I'd rather have motivated volunteer immigrants than unmotivated native-born draftees.
IMO, if you are killed in combat, you, yoru spouse, and your next of kin should automatically recieve citizenship.
Sad thing is, it'd be the only government program where you'd have to learn English. Though, they already send non-English speakers to English classes before basic.
No Saudis, please.
Let's be fair. If you grow up in Bangledesh, Indonesia, or Brazil, you're not joining the U.S. Army for the sake of patriotism. You're joining it because you want something. In this case, it would be a very wealthy lifestyle, complete with free healthcare for you and your dependents, and a good shot at U.S. citizenship. That's not 'highest bidder' mercenary, but it's not exactly selfless service, either.
I've worked with some members of foreign militaries, and discovered that not only did I make more a month than their commander, I made more than their entire unit. Combined. Any one of those guys would be thrilled to be a soldier for the U.S. Army. Now, a great many of these people may become fine Americans one day, but let's call a spade a spade. To a guy in downtown Manila or the streets of Bombay, joining the U.S. Army is like winning the lottery.
Point made. I did a search of 'military' in the title and found nothing posted since last month.
You're both negating the possibility of this because is written up in the Boston Globe?
Dollars to donuts this is EXACTLY what Bush has planned as the solution to his effort to increase the size of the military AND dollars to donuts he will be announcing it soon. Boston Globe may be a liberal rag, but they didn't pull this out of thin air. So I question, are you prepared for this and oppose it or prepared for it and applaud Bush, again?
Clever clever OBL...use the illegals to increase the size of our military and in doing so, validate their having entered and remained in this country illegally by fast tracking them to citizenship. And once again, disregard any THREAT this may post to NATIONAL SECURITY.
Encouraging illegal immigration and harboring illegal aliens is ILLEGAL. Just because someone decided it was a 'good' idea to allow them into the military previously, does NOT make it a good idea.
U.S.A. 1862-1865, it worked then.
Of course I am...not a good idea then, and certainly not one now. As far as I'm concerned, it's nothing buy a ploy that will fast track to citizenship, while continuing to ignore the threat is poses to our own national security. But then, coming from an Administration who refused to secure the border after 9/11, nothing surprises me, just makes me all the more determined.
Have you forgotten 9/11?
The Union recruited foreigners during the Civil War.
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