Military Campaign to Promote U.S. Citizenship Pays Off for 147

In a flag-draped ceremony aboard the aircraft carrier Constellation, 147 sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen were sworn in as U.S. citizens Tuesday--part of the military’s new push to help enlisted personnel gain citizenship

“I feel great!” said Navy helicopter maintenance worker Osadhi Gunasekera, 33, a native of Sri Lanka.

“It’s wonderful to be a fully official American, at last,” said Marine Lance Cpl. Carlton McLeod, 24, born in Canada.

Noncitizens have served in the U.S. military since before the Civil War.

Until recently it was up to each individual to complete the paperwork and navigate the citizenship process laid out by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Because of overseas deployments and unscheduled transfers, many were unable to meet the deadlines or appear at interviews. As a result, their applications languished.

But now the Department of Defense has ordered that each command in each branch of the military have a staff dedicated to working with the INS to iron out problems. The INS has designated a central clearinghouse for all citizenship applications from military personnel.

Like civilian applicants, military personnel go through interviews and background checks for criminal records, outstanding warrants, Internal Revenue Service problems and membership in terrorist groups. Fingerprints are checked through the FBI database, which includes records from Interpol and other foreign agencies. The military also does background checks when a service member is being considered for a security clearance.

On July 3, President Bush issued an executive directive that any noncitizens on active military duty since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 is immediately eligible to apply for citizenship--without the usual three-year wait. Bush invoked a portion of federal law allowing expedited processing of citizenship applications by military personnel during times of war.

Rear Adm. Jose L. Betancourt Jr., who became a U.S. citizen at 19, hailed the INS changes and said that until recently “it was extremely difficult to comply with the rules and regulations” for citizenship. “The paperwork was phenomenal,” he said.

U.S. District Judge Judith Keep, who administered the oath of citizenship, praised the “kinder, gentler, more streamlined local INS office.” Along with citizenship, 17 applicants also had their names changed to become more “Americanized.”

The new push and the presidential directive are particularly important to the Navy, which has the most noncitizens of any service and is experiencing an increase in the number of noncitizens enlisting.

Of 31,044 noncitizens on active duty as of June, 15,708 were in the Navy and 6,517 in the Marine Corps. Noncitizens account for about 3% of the country’s military strength.

Military personnel who are not citizens are precluded from many jobs requiring security clearance, a career hindrance as the military becomes more technological. Nor can they become officers.

Benson Calica Fangon, 34, of the Philippines, a naval aviation bosun’s mate, said he first applied for citizenship in 1997 but never completed the process. “I moved around a lot and INS couldn’t find me,” he said.

With Navy assistance, Fangon and his brother, Benjamin Calica Fangon Jr., 33, a mess specialist, took the oath together Tuesday.

Vicki Dronet Alba, U.S. citizenship program manager for the Navy Region Southwest, said the goal is to complete applications within three to four months.

Although most of the new citizens--who came from 32 countries--were in their first tour of duty, some decided to seek citizenship after years of service.

Navy storekeeper Enrico Cruz Audencial, 48, a 24-year veteran, had planned to retain his Philippine citizenship because he may retire there. But Sept. 11 changed his mind.

“Sept. 11 made everything different,” he said. “This is the right thing to do. This is my country.”