I want to enlist in the US Army, but | **Update on Page 4!!**

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - I want to enlist in the US Army, but | **Update on Page 4!!** (Page 1 of 6)

Posted: 9/6/2017 5:24:29 PM EDT

I'm a not a US citizen.

I want to join in about 2 years when I graduate (BS in Math and Compsci).

I want to go infantry/airborne, but I have no idea about anything. This is a difficult topic to research on my own, and all I have around me are vapid college kids.

Age: 19

I've not talked to a recruiter yet: I want to be prepared.

What should I know? Help me, arfcom. You're my only hope.

Posted: 9/6/2017 5:26:03 PM EDT

[#1]

I knew two guys in my unit that were not US citizens.

One was Polish, the other British.

Posted: 9/6/2017 5:31:47 PM EDT

[#2]

Go talk to a recruiter, then come back here and verify what you were told.....

I was lucky, my recruiter was honest and put EVERYTHING in writing....

So many people that were in had horror stories of recruiters "tricking" them.....

There is nothing they can do to force you to sign up.... they can mislead, but

not really trick you into joining per say.

Have you taken the ASVAB? if not, you will need to schedule that,

if you have, bring your results.

Good luck.

Posted: 9/6/2017 5:32:28 PM EDT

[#3]

Don't. Or get your citizenship first.

Posted: 9/6/2017 5:33:29 PM EDT

[#4]

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Quoted:
Don't. Or get your citizenship first.

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Just for curiosity, why do you say "don't"?

Posted: 9/6/2017 5:34:16 PM EDT

[#5]

Talk to a recruiter...not being a US citizen may affect your security clearance and what MOS you can choose.
But I knew lots of Filipinos in the military that got their citizenship afterwards.

Posted: 9/6/2017 5:35:02 PM EDT

[#6]

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Quoted:
Go talk to a recruiter, then come back here and verify what you were told.....

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This. There are ASVAB practice tests online. Take them, see what you score. Also I would recommend checking out some of the other jobs available. There may be something else that could benefit you in the long run.

Posted: 9/6/2017 5:36:16 PM EDT

[#7]

You can join with a valid green card as long as you get your citizenship within 8 years, otherwise you have to get out. Being in the Military will bump your citizenship application to the top so it doesn't take as long. I had several Soldiers get their citizenship while on Active duty. I also put dozens of people in the Army with green cards.

You an also join with certain types of Visas.

Go talk to a Recruiter. People who say their Recruiter lied to them were too stupid to ask questions and actually thought the Army was like the movies. Then, when they find themselves mopping floors, they blame their Recruiter for "lying". EVERYTHING is ALWAYS in writing.

Posted: 9/6/2017 5:36:38 PM EDT

[#8]

Because if your in long enough you wind up having to tell other people what to do. I loved taking orders from some fuckhead non English speaking asshole who wasn't even an American.

Posted: 9/6/2017 5:38:42 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:

This is a difficult topic to research on my own,

What should I know?

View Quote

with that amount of effort its gonna hurt

Posted: 9/6/2017 5:39:09 PM EDT

[#10]

Op you seem like the motivated person this country welcomes to attain citizenship. Good luck.

Posted: 9/6/2017 5:41:42 PM EDT

[#11]

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Quoted:
Because if your in long enough you wind up having to tell other people what to do. I loved taking orders from some fuckhead non English speaking asshole who wasn't even an American.

View Quote

I knew a SSG from Alabama and I couldn't understand a word out of that guy's mouth. When he wasn't hitting us with the deepest southern accent he was lapsing into Ebonics.

Posted: 9/6/2017 5:42:08 PM EDT

[#12]

Are you here legally?

If yes, then you can most likely still enlist. Security clearance will be an issue, until you're a citizen, but they have jobs that don't require them (good thing you want to be Infantry!).

Also, I've had 2 of my soldiers earn their citizenship while on Active Duty (one from Brazil, the other from Taiwan), and have seen another half dozen or so that didn't fall under me do the same.

Go ask a recruiter

Posted: 9/6/2017 5:44:05 PM EDT

[#13]

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Quoted:
Don't. Or get your citizenship first.

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Why?

Posted: 9/6/2017 5:53:46 PM EDT

[#14]

An enlisted Soldier has until the end of his second enlistment to become a citizen.

One of my students just finished Infantry OSUT (as a National Guardsman) and was sworn-in as a citizen at graduation.

Posted: 9/6/2017 5:54:35 PM EDT

[#15]

Army? Are the Marines too tough?

Posted: 9/6/2017 6:00:15 PM EDT

[#16]

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Army? Are the Marines too tough?

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says the squid

Posted: 9/6/2017 6:05:21 PM EDT

[#17]

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Quoted:
Don't. Or get your citizenship first.

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UHHH, joining is a good way to gain citizenship, you get really fast-tracked.

I don't know what you need to get in (assuming green card) but even when I got to Kandahar in '02 (before there was really shit there) there was a JAG tent near the terminal where they were doing citizenship paperwork.

Posted: 9/6/2017 6:08:06 PM EDT

[#18]

Before you go jumping out of perfectly good aircraft, you might give this thread a moment:

https://www.ar15.com/forums/general/Woman-jumps-off-building-in-New-York/5-2030290/

Posted: 9/6/2017 6:09:03 PM EDT

[#19]

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says the squid

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Both are too tough for me. I like air conditioning and hot meals.

Posted: 9/6/2017 6:17:11 PM EDT

[#20]

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Quoted:
Because if your in long enough you wind up having to tell other people what to do. I loved taking orders from some fuckhead non English speaking asshole who wasn't even an American.

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I have met US soldiers whose ability to speak ranged from Lil Wayne to Boomhauer.

Posted: 9/6/2017 6:18:58 PM EDT

[#21]

The French Foreign Legion is an option.

Posted: 9/6/2017 6:21:27 PM EDT

[#22]

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The French Foreign Legion is an option.

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I knew a dude who talked about trying to join them after he got out of the Marines and Blackwater/Triple Canopy wasn't hiring. I don't know if he made it or not but I recently saw an article on their recruitment by some guy who tried to join and apparently it's really difficult.

Posted: 9/6/2017 6:21:42 PM EDT

[#23]

I haven't taken the ASVAB. I am here legally.

I was born in Iran, and became a permanent resident of a European country at a fairly young age before coming to the USA.

Posted: 9/6/2017 6:22:42 PM EDT

[#24]

Go sign up for ROTC at your school now. Go in as an officer (not sure if you can as a non citizen), but if you can do it!

Posted: 9/6/2017 6:25:18 PM EDT

[#25]

Are you living in the U.S.?

They let dreamers join .mil, so if here legally iy should not be a big issue.

like menioned talk to recruiter.

Posted: 9/6/2017 6:27:57 PM EDT

[#26]

A guy in my unit in the Marines got his green card after desert storm, I am not positive what hoops he had to jump through to get there though.

Posted: 9/6/2017 6:31:28 PM EDT

[#27]

Don't know if Army is the same but on the Navy side, enlisted gets to go front of the line for their citizenship paperwork. The JAG office handles the issue but they work pretty fast. I have seen non citizens get their citizenship in two years.

Posted: 9/6/2017 6:41:47 PM EDT

[#28]

I spent over twenty years in the military. I had a lot of soldiers who were not citizens. Once you are in, you can get help from JAG. They will help with the paper work to become a citizen. During the early 80s, people from Eastern Europe had special programs to enter SF. Since you have college you should go Special Forces. Just because you aren't a citizen doesn't always mean you can't obtain a clearance. If you can get a wavier for a clearance you go straight to the Rangers or SF.

Good Luck

Posted: 9/6/2017 6:53:04 PM EDT

[#29]

Quote History

Quoted:
I haven't taken the ASVAB. I am here legally.

I was born in Iran, and became a permanent resident of a European country at a fairly young age before coming to the USA.

View Quote

If you have a green card you are good to go. I am assuming you are here on a student visa and I am not sure how that works. A recruiter will know the answer or where to find the answer.

Posted: 9/6/2017 6:58:30 PM EDT

[#30]

I was not a citizen when I joined the USMC.

My commanding officer administered my oath of citizenship once I took the test after I was on active duty and in the fleet.

Posted: 9/6/2017 7:02:51 PM EDT

[#31]

Do you speak Farsi? not to piss on your idea of airborne infantry but with a language alot of interesting doors can become open, once your a citizen and your clearances are complete..

Posted: 9/6/2017 7:03:16 PM EDT

[#32]

Quote History

Quoted:
Don't. Or get your citizenship first.

View Quote

Posted: 9/6/2017 7:07:12 PM EDT

[#33]

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Quoted:
Why?

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

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Quoted:

Quoted:
Don't. Or get your citizenship first.

Why?

Because it will be difficult to become an Officer (security clearance issues) which would defeat his purpose of finishing his BA. Also, non-citizens enlist in lower echelon MOSs.

Posted: 9/6/2017 7:14:46 PM EDT

[#34]

What should I do to prepare physically?

I'm conditioned for sprinting.

At the moment, I'm 6', 165 lbs, at about 9% bf.

Posted: 9/6/2017 7:18:09 PM EDT

[#35]

Quote History

Quoted:
Do you speak Farsi? not to piss on your idea of airborne infantry but with a language alot of interesting doors can become open, once your a citizen and your clearances are complete..

View Quote

Yeah, I speak Farsi. But I'm reticent even to consider a different mos.

I'm not going to join to sit behind a desk or a computer screen.

Posted: 9/6/2017 7:21:16 PM EDT

[#36]

Quote History

Quoted:
I haven't taken the ASVAB. I am here legally.

I was born in Iran, and became a permanent resident of a European country at a fairly young age before coming to the USA.

View Quote

If you speak Farsi you may find that they're more willing to help you join.

Posted: 9/6/2017 7:22:28 PM EDT

[#37]

A good part of the military are not citizens. One of my best friends got his citizenship while he was in. We took him to the titty bar that night and he always remembers the day he became a citizen he got titties and a HJ from an ugly stripper

Posted: 9/6/2017 7:23:47 PM EDT

[#38]

Quote History

Quoted:

Yeah, I speak Farsi. But I'm reticent even to consider a different mos.

I'm not going to join to sit behind a desk or a computer screen.

View Quote

Just know, if you do go Infantry, expect to get some shit

Posted: 9/6/2017 7:24:05 PM EDT

[#39]

Quote History

Quoted:

Yeah, I speak Farsi. But I'm reticent even to consider a different mos.

I'm not going to join to sit behind a desk or a computer screen.

View Quote

Civil Affairs

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_Civil_Affairs_and_Psychological_Operations_Command

Posted: 9/6/2017 7:24:53 PM EDT

[#40]

Quote History

Quoted:
Don't. Or get your citizenship first.

View Quote

This. Get naturalized. THEN GO...as an officer. NOT ENLISTED.

Posted: 9/6/2017 7:25:14 PM EDT

[#41]

Day 1

Quoted:
I'm a not a US citizen.

I want to join in about 2 years when I graduate (BS in Math and Compsci).

I want to go infantry/airborne, but I have no idea about anything. This is a difficult topic to research on my own, and all I have around me are vapid college kids.

Age: 19

I've not talked to a recruiter yet: I want to be prepared.

What should I know? Help me, arfcom. You're my only hope.

View Quote

Posted: 9/6/2017 7:27:08 PM EDT

[#42]

Plenty of non-citizens in the army. Certain jobs would not be an option for you, though.

Posted: 9/6/2017 7:29:05 PM EDT

[#43]

Quote History

Quoted:
Talk to a recruiter...not being a US citizen may affect your security clearance and what MOS you can choose.
But I knew lots of Filipinos in the military that got their citizenship afterwards.

View Quote

This....Worked with an Aussie in 03 who was USAF.....We had to scrub the area anytime he was in the room. Kind of a pain but he was a great dude. You won't regret it.

Posted: 9/6/2017 7:29:30 PM EDT

[#44]

Quote History

Quoted:

Yeah, I speak Farsi. But I'm reticent even to consider a different mos.

I'm not going to join to sit behind a desk or a computer screen.

View Quote

THEN DO NOT MENTION YOUR LANGUAGE SKILLS. Don't even tell your squad mates.

Posted: 9/6/2017 7:29:33 PM EDT

[#45]

you can enlist. just cant get a security clearance.i was canadian citizen when i enlisted and changed after first cruise.

Posted: 9/6/2017 7:29:39 PM EDT

[#46]

Quote History

Quoted:
Because if your in long enough you wind up having to tell other people what to do. I loved taking orders from some fuckhead non English speaking asshole who wasn't even an American.

View Quote

What difference does it make, really? Were you more of a soldier (or whatever branch) than they were because you are a citizen?

Posted: 9/6/2017 7:31:56 PM EDT

[#47]

Dude, you are 19. Good on you for wanting to join the military and go infantry. That being said, focus on finishing school. Work out, eat healthy and don't knock up any chicks. Once you are done with school, or close to it, then start looking into the military and talking to recruiters.

Posted: 9/6/2017 7:32:16 PM EDT

[#48]

Quote History

Quoted:
Because if your in long enough you wind up having to tell other people what to do. I loved taking orders from some fuckhead non English speaking asshole who wasn't even an American.

View Quote

LOL