Foreign Military

From the Stars and Stripes:

"Fewer foreigners serving in US military getting American citizenship"

 

Danielle Felone left her home in Jamaica four years ago to join her father in New York and become a permanent U.S. resident. While she hoped to pursue a degree in computer science like she was doing in Jamaica, she quickly realized college tuition in the United States was more than she could afford. So she took the advice of her stepmother and in March joined the U.S. Navy, even though she was a foreign citizen. Felone was one of 15 military service members who became naturalized U.S. citizens Nov. 13 during a ceremony in Norfolk, home to one of the two immigration offices in Virginia. "I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself. The cause is always the same, protecting the people, regardless of where you are," said Felone, a seaman based at Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach who deployed aboard the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman on Nov. 16. "I'm serving the country, so why not be a U.S. citizen? Why not be a part of the country that you are trying to serve?" U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services figures show the number of foreigners serving in the U.S. military who become Americans is sharply declining. In the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 7,709 became U.S. citizens, down from 9,239 the year before, a drop of about 17 percent. That's the lowest number since 2007, when 5,895 service members were naturalized. Immigration officials say they're not sure why there has been a drop-off. About 5,000 foreign citizens enlist in the U.S. military every year, and there are about 25,000 foreign citizens on active duty, in the reserves or in the National Guard, according to the Defense Department. In 2011, Mexico, the Philippines, Jamaica, Colombia and the Dominican Republic were the top countries of origin for foreign service members, according to the White House. They've served in American units since the Revolutionary War. Today, those who are lawful permanent residents can join the U.S. military. The defense secretary can authorize exceptions for others if it is deemed vital to the national interest, such as if someone possesses unique language skills. After 9/11, the path to citizenship was expedited for those serving in the military under an executive order signed by President George W. Bush. More than 109,000 foreign members of the military have become U.S. citizens since October 2001. In the first three quarters of the 2015 fiscal year, there was an average of 245 pending applications , up from 218 during the same time the previous year. The Norfolk field office is typically one of the five busiest in the country for military naturalizations, along with those in Chicago, Oklahoma City, Atlanta and Charleston, S.C. Typically, the paperwork process for citizenship begins at basic training in another state and is transferred to Virginia when service members attend technical school or get their first assignments, Reffel said.

 

 

^ It's good that the US Government "rewards" foreigners who serve in the military to  protect the US by giving them a fast-track to US citizenship. Many countries do not. The French only allow foreigners in the French Foreign Legion and they serve outside of France (where they can then get French citizenship after their service) whereas a foreigner in the US military can be posted anywhere the US has troops - - - within the US or overseas. I have known many foreigners who became citizens after joining the US Military. If there is a trend of foreigners in the military not becoming citizens then I am not sure why that would be as the majority of the ones I know joined to help protect the country that helped them when they needed it. ^

http://www.stripes.com/news/us/fewer-foreigners-serving-in-us-military-getting-american-citizenship-1.380422