[PistolPaknMama]

Heike Lewandowski became an American at a ceremony Saturday ...has served in the National Guard for eight years.

She became an American citizen today (?) and has served in our National Guard for 8 years without being an American citizen? Heike may have good intentions but is anyone else disturbed that foreign nationals can serve in the National Guard? And how many are serving that may not have good intentions?

[Maine Mariner]

I am not disturbed. Someone please correct me if I am wrong but non-citizens have served in the armed forces. In fact it has been a fast track to US citizenship.

Sometime in the late 1870’s my great grandfather, a Norwegian citizen joined the US Navy in Naples Italy.

[Drew68]

Heike may have good intentions but is anyone else disturbed that foreign nationals can serve in the National Guard? And how many are serving that may not have good intentions?

Foreign nationals serve in all branches of the U.S. military. We had a Haitian in my last command who took liberty and invited many of us in our squadron to attend his naturalization ceremony.

I believe foreigners are eligible to become naturalized citizens after three or four years of good conduct in the armed forces vice seven years legal residency for non-servicemembers.

[Seven plus One]

Spur of the moment, don’t have the numbers, but there is a good contingent of Mexicans who have served in Iraq, in the Army and in the Marine Corps with courage and honor. Their intentions speak for themselves.

[spectre]

Foreign nationals can - and do - enlist in all branches of the U.S. armed forces.

However, they can not be commissioned officers unless they first become citizens.