Army Wants Noncitizens for Military

AP via Newsday ^ | May 20, 2002, 3:30 PM EDT | SUZANNE GAMBOA

[Jean S]

Even if you're not a U.S. citizen, Uncle Sam wants you.

About 47,500 military personnel are noncitizens, roughly 4 percent of the total, and the Pentagon is recruiting more.

"We recruit everywhere. We like to look like America and recruit anyone who is qualified," said Jim Cassella, a Pentagon spokesman.

[rdavis84]

"I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times, our leaders couldn't undermine this nation any more if they were trying as hard as they could. That leads me to think they ARE trying as hard as they can."

Looks that way to many of us. And Their Attitude is "What are you going to do about it?"

[TankerKC]

I'm not sure that this is necessarily a bad thing, but I have had one example where this didn't work too well. I was in El Salvador last year, and we were given a translator that was a Salvadoran reservist in the US Army (SSG/E-6). He spoke Spanish really well. Unfortunately, he spoke little or no English. I found it easier to just use my poor Spanish.

[DoughtyOne]

Whadya think the databases at airports, the cameras going up everywhere, and vehicle ID stations being readied are all about? Aliens among us? As you well know, it's because the masses can't be fooled for much longer.

[swarthyguy]

Cannibals from Guinea in Indonesia. Do jihadis taste like the other white meat?

[color_tear]

It looks like few freepers here are too young to even know US military.
US military has always recruited non-citizens. During the Vietnam war, if a GREEN_CARD status youngman is enlisted, he'll automatically becomes a US citizen after the discharge. I know few good people in NYC got their citizenships this way.

[toddst]

When I was in Marine Corps boot camp I taught Mexican-Americans how to read and study to graduate and those same Mexican-American Marines saved this Irish-American on more than one occasion in Viet Nam. Any person who fights for the stars and stripes deserves citizenship. Semper Fi.

This route (military service) is a good way to help immigrants understand what being an American means. Your experiences make this very clear IMHO.

[TADSLOS]

It's not necessarily a bad thing, nor a recent phenomonon. We have had and continue to have people in our armed forces from a variety of countries. U.S. Citizenship is highly valued and serving in our military is probably the most honorable way to earn it.

[JPJones]

Didn't the Roman empire start doing this...right before it collapsed?

[gwynapnudd]

"It's all over"

Sums it up nicely.

[miamimark]

Next they'll be dishonorably discharged if they can't speaK Spanish.

[gwynapnudd]

We don't have the foresight to require a Swiss mandatory military service and national defense strategy. Instead, it is politically less volatile to hire mercenaries and barbarians to defend the empires borders. Much of the initial fighting in Afghanistan was by "Northern Alliance" forces, which was a PC way of saying tribal warlords and Russian mercs from the Chechen theatre.

[Dialup Llama]

>Maj. Ben Owens, a Pentagon spokesman, said there is no policy requiring recruiters to discuss citizenship.

Who told this guy he could talk? When you sign those elistment papers they know EVERYTHING and if you write something false down it takes about 4 weeks before that cathes up to you in boot camp. This guy made it seem like you could snow the recruiter regarding citizenship.

[SteamshipTime]

So what? The Roman Empire and the British Empire both used foreign nationals! Um, never mind.

Born in Mexico, Rascon was awarded the Medal of Honor -- the highest military honor -- in 1995 for saving the lives of two men by covering them with his own body and taking fire during a 1966 skirmish.

I'm sure Rascon is a very brave man, and I'm sure he deserves a medal, but this is pretty thin for the rarified criteria for the MoH. Note also in whose administration the award was made.

[MarkWar]

>So what? The Roman Empire and the British Empire both used foreign nationals!

Steven Seagal's friend: "The Romans used to assassinate their Senators, Nikko." Steven Seagal: "Are we the f^ck!ng Romans?!"

[laughs]

Mark W.

[SteamshipTime]

My subtle point being: where are the Roman and British empires now.

[csmusaret]

I thought the same thing. By the way when we had the draft non-citizens were routinely drafted. It has always been this way.