Go Army
 

I was fooling around on www.goarmy.com and read something that if you where to do normal military service (not shure if the term is correct) as a private, it said that you had to be U.S. citizen or temporary citizen. If you wanted to do officers education or something else (my memory isn't all clear) you had to be U.S. citizen. How can that be? Does the USA really accepts "foreigners" and what are the req.? (wonder what would happen if all men from iraq applied :)

There are lots of Mexicans in particular that are not citizens yet but are waiting for their papers. What happens is you have to apply for citizenship and then you can join. Joining pushes your paperwork faster than for normal people. If you don't intend to become a citizen or you don't apply, you won't be eligible for military service.

As far as officer programs go, you must be a US citizen. Since they are generally more responsible for US personnel and equipment than enlisted guys, there is more of an imperative that you have more "investment" in your country. Similarly, there are levels of enlisted rates that you can't achieve before getting your US citizenship because you wouldn't want a Gunnery Sgt or CPO that is a non-citizen running a department of 400 US citizens ... that's kind of wonky.

Look at the requirements for government service: I believe that naturalized citizens can become representatives or senators, but the president had to be born as a US citizen. It is all about not allowing foreign nationals too much power in our government and military.

Its true, I recently signed up and I am a resident alien. The counsler I spoke to said I have to become a citizen within 3 yrs.

Well I'm out! I won't be a citizen for at least 4 years!

Ok. Some of my foreign friends have both swedish and a another citizenship. A dual citizenship so called. Are there any english test being made when you apply for service?

I would think so, not sure tho. They would need to understand basic commands and read and write. I would assume there is...:shrug:

ok, I can't enter www.goarmy.com, anyone else having the same problem?

i got it too

Borked up URL there... Try www.goarmy.com instead. (there is a comma after your URL above.)

There IS a basic test to enlist called the ASVAB. If you can't pass the test at an acceptable level you can't enlist regardless of anything else. I imagine that if you don't understand english very well that you won't do too well on the test. The recruiters and MEPS are supposed to look for this kind of thing, and they treat it as a disability just like if you were missing a limb. No speaky, no worky.

Unlike the rest of the nation, the military is a strictly ENGLISH institution. There is no BS about equal access to foreign languages or anything. If you can't understand english acceptably and fluently you will either not be able to join, get administratively discharged when it becomes apparent that you are incapable of doing your duties, or you will end up a low-rate cook (if you're lucky) until they "early retire" you (no benefits). If you can't understand your orders IN ENGLISH as a soldier/sailor/airman you are beyond worthless as far as they are concerned because you become a liability. It doesn't mean you're a bad person, it just means that you're a bad US serviceman. Sorry.

I don't believe they allow dual citizenship, btw, unless you are dropping your foreign citizenship.

lets assume that ppl frequenting these boards have enough written and spoken knowledge of the english language?

I was answering the question about "some of his foreign friends." I agree ... if we can understand you here you're probably capable of being cannon fodder.

I just wrote it wrong. I have tried www.goarmy.com and it doens't work for me.

hehe, ok :)