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Posted: 7/5/2001 7:32:14 AM EDT

1) Approximately what percentage of those serving in the armed forces of the United States were born outside the country?

1a) What are the percentages like amongst the enlisted ranks in the combat arms?

2) Do immigrants get any "extra credit" towards citizenship for serving Uncle Sam, either in peace or in war?  
Link Posted: 7/5/2001 7:55:39 AM EDT
[#1]
Link Posted: 7/5/2001 8:27:31 AM EDT
[#2]
Is this important or some kind of conspiracy?  What does it matter?
Link Posted: 7/5/2001 8:31:01 AM EDT
[#3]
I think we should start a Foreign Legion like France. Enlist and serve a five year term and you are granted citizenship.
I imagine recruiting in the Philipines and Central America would be very successful.
Link Posted: 7/5/2001 9:13:33 AM EDT
[#4]
I would think it better to recruit in parts of the world that speek English for the most part. Especially in areas that dont have much in the way of a military force of their own.  We already get quite a few Canadians.

Places to target would be Jamaca, Bahamas, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa.  Lots of English speaking men who either want out, or want to be soldiers and have no opportunity to do so in their country.

The practice of enlisting foreigners into the Legions worked well for Rome for 400 years and for Byzantium for another 600 or so after that. The retired Legionares recieved land as well as citizenship for their service.  Settling ex-servicemen around the country is what made the Roman Empire truely Roman in culture from England to the Holy Land.
Link Posted: 7/5/2001 10:30:01 AM EDT
[#5]
I don't have any answers to your questions.  However, I can tell you that everyone I've met is surprised that foreign nationals can even serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.  When I turned 18, a card came in the mail instructing me to register for Selective Service.  I did my duty and headed down to fill the forms.  People always ask how they can make me do that when I'm not a citizen.  I usually told them that Uncle Sam doesn't care where you're willing to die for him.

A recent question put to me (by a Chinese immigrant) asked about the question of loyalty.  How would I feel if I was in the US Armed Forces and sent into action against my native country?  That's actually a pretty simple question.  You swear an oath upon induction.  If you have any sense of honor and your word means anything, you'll live up to that oath even if it means going against fellow countrymen.  Any of my relatives would understand that.


Does service count towards extra credit?  If the INS officer processing your file is impressed by it, or maybe you saved his life while serving, I suppose it might count.

Link Posted: 7/5/2001 10:43:38 AM EDT
[#6]
Originally Posted By LARRY G:
Is this important or some kind of conspiracy?  What does it matter?
View Quote

It's at least as important as the latest antics of the mall ninja. [;D]  As for the conspiracy part... I think you need another layer of Reynolds Wrap. [@:D]

I find it interesting that people who've just arrived in this country are willing to put their lives on the line to defend it.  Would you be willing to do the reverse -- move to Poland or Ethiopa and join the military?  Me neither.

And I find it unfair that foreign-born veterans apparently receive very little credit towards citizenship when hundreds of thousands of [b]illegal[/b] immigrants are receiving [i]de facto[/i] citizenship just by sneaking across the Mexican border.

And I'm curious about the degree to which the armed services have been meeting their recruiting goals with foreigners at a time when they're having difficulty getting native-born Americans to enlist.  
Link Posted: 7/5/2001 10:44:18 AM EDT
[#7]
ya my friend said he joined the army because it is quicker to get citizenship he said otherwise he would have to wait a very long time he said but if he joined they would bust out the paper immediately
Link Posted: 7/5/2001 11:42:20 AM EDT
[#8]
Well, another Sailor replying; and I know of at least 3 people from other Countries (Jamaica, Russia, and the Philipines) who are serving active duty now because it was written in their contract that they would become full blown citizens for their time.

One of them is serving a 6 yr enlistment. He just made E-5. The other 2 are E-3's.
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