Posted on 11/30/2005 9:30:59 PM PST by Anita1
HEIDELBERG, Germany — They came from Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico and the Philippines. They came from Ghana, Micronesia, Albania and … Canada, Great Britain and Egypt?
Nearly 60 U.S. soldiers, stationed throughout U.S. Army Europe but originally from all parts of the globe, gathered Tuesday at Campbell Barracks to take the oath renouncing allegiance to “any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty” and become U.S. citizens.
“I think it’s the best country in the world."
(Excerpt) Read more at estripes.com ...
The group ceremony was due, in part, to a change last year in immigration law. The change did away with a five-year waiting period for active-duty military members. The new rules say that during a time of war, foreign-born soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines may apply for citizenship on their first day of active duty, said Jeffrey Sapko, officer in charge of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Frankfurt.
If all goes well, it takes about six months from application to oath-swearing, Sapko said...
Since the law changed, the number of applicants has been increasing rapidly. Last fiscal year at his office, Sapko said, 252 servicemembers became U.S. citizens. With the new fiscal year only a few weeks old, “We’re already halfway to what we did last year,” he said...
But there was also a former Canadian citizen — who said she became a U.S. citizen in part to become eligible to be an officer in the U.S. Army — and a soldier who hailed from Great Britain.
“I said, ‘What is it that’s bringing you in?” Sapko said he asked the former Brit. “He said, ‘I want to be a citizen of the greatest country on earth.’ ”
Congrats, Americans....you've earned your keep!
Here's an opportunity to solve both our immigration problem and our military recruiting problem in one shot. It worked very well for the Romans at one time.
Darn shame more people born here don't serve ........
More than willing....age is a factor these days, though. :-(
God Bless Them All.
ping
God Bless them, and I thank them for their service.
“I think it’s the best country in the world."
Well welcome to it, and so do we soldier. So do we.
We should recruit in Mexico. We'll say, you want to become Americans? Join in the U.S. Army. Solves our illegal immigration crisis.
Yeah, plus they would have to learn how to speak english.
Nice post...
God Bless them all.
bump
Excellent! Congratulations to all our new citizens!
Now, if we could get more of our young men to follow suit, even if they're already citizens. Military service is a great way for young men (and women) to gain maturity, serve their nation, and achieve something worth remembering all their lives.
Beats the heck out of frat parties.
God bless each and every one of these new American citizens!
Agreed.
Thanks - it was refreshing to see a positive article - but then - it was not on a MSM site! They're ALL negative!
I agree with msnimje who posted on 5
Could we get some Congressional Democrats to take the same Oath?
It would sure take care of the tritors! They's jump ship to go to Canada!
Re:
11/30/2005 9:35:38 PM PST by msnimje (Bob Woodward is the GRINCH who stole Fitzmas............Cindy Lou (sheehan) WHO?)
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