America is a populace of immigrants. Their spirit of determination, exploration, hard work and devotion to an idea that is bigger than they had made this country great and what it is today. Whatever one thinks of the exodus contemplation in the present day, particularly the problem of illegal immigrants; foreigners have played a central responsibility in the building of our nation. Many now call the United States their home and they do what ever is necessary to protect it. This is evident in America’s armed forces. The United States is an international authority, and to project that authority and power successfully and efficiently, the military needs soldiers. America’s armed forces are distinguished by a patriotism that knows no boundaries and is shared by immigrants whose assistance is crucial and essential to the fight against terrorism. Just as native-born soldiers, foreign born soldiers play a special role in today’s military. Immigrants bring with them diverse backgrounds, including the ability to speak many different languages and understand other cultures and societies. In the fight against terrorism, immigrants enhance the military by offering linguistic skills and their intellectual expertise to achieve successful missions. They are devoted to and heed the call to fight for the principles of liberty and democracy. For non-citizens who meet the requirements to enlist and serve admirably, serving in the United States military offers a unique path to citizenship (see left).The reality that America’s armed forces are facing today is the significant downfall of military recruitment. It is apparent that current recruitment programs are very ineffective. Recently the Department of Defense reported that their recruitment goals fell short in May. The Army fell short by seven percent, which was short of its goal of five thousand five hundred new applicants, while the Army National Guard fell twelve percent, and the Air National Guard fell below its target by twenty three percent. Currently the number of immigrants serving in the military range between forty thousand and forty seven thousand, according to Dr. Emilio Gonzalez, director of Bureau of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Max Boot, a senior fellow at the Council of Foreign Relations thinks that it is time that the United States starts a “freedom legion.” Referring to a unit of the military made up of entirely of legal and illegal immigrants whose reward for serving a four year term in a war would lead to a path of good compensation and a route to U.S. citizenship. The idea advocated by Mr. Boot is not entirely new. This idea has been referenced before as a part of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, commonly referred to as the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act encourages the formation of opportunities for young immigrants. I believe that now is the time to consider a new phase in the annals of American immigration. By welcoming immigrants to join the United States armed forces in exchange for an assurance of citizenship after a four year tour of duty, the United States could continue to draw some of the world’s most innovative, enterprising, and talented individuals.
Despite the growing anti-Americanism, United States Citizenship is still one of the world’s most prized commodities. Unlike most concerns dealing with the immigration debate, the proposal of offering United States citizenship to immigrants who serve a term in the military should be a winner for everyone. It is beneficial for immigrants who wish to pursue U.S. citizenship, which they could otherwise not obtain and it is beneficial for a beleaguered America military which is getting smaller in size as the war in Iraq continues. Not only would immigrants endow the United States military with an advantageous influx of exceedingly motivated soldiers, they would address some of the key deficiencies in the battle against terrorism. Immigrants would also help uphold the all volunteer force. In a time as crucial as the United States is facing right now with the war in Iraq, it is especially difficult to find enough qualified people and a ready source of recruits who speak Arabic, Pashto, Dari, and other strategic dialects that help A
merican soldiers in battle front and behind enemy lines. Immigrant soldiers have always been a crucial part to the success of the United States in winning wars. From the Revolutionary War to World War II, immigrants have sacrificed there lives along with their American comrades for this great nation. By allowing immigrants a path to citizenship through military service, immigrants would also prove their allegiance and commitment to their new homeland, while having the chance to integrate quicker into American society(see right).While the proposal of allowing immigrants an avenue toward U.S. citizenship by serving in the military has gained some attention from the United States Pentagon, it still has to clear a number of hurdles. Nevertheless with Senator Barak Obama winning the presidential election, the outlook for undocumented immigrants and legal immigrants is looking bright with Obama’s plan for immigration reform. To date, the Pentagon has been relatively quite on the specifics of this proposal, like what countries will be able to join, or where the recruiting stations will be, and what minimum standards will be placed on immigrants who decide to serve. Already, the Army and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sector of the Department of Homeland Security have made it easier to for green card holders who do enlist and serve get their citizenship. According to statistics from the military and the Council on Foreign Relations, there are about thirty thousand noncitizens serving in the armed forces today. Currently, Pentagon guidelines specify that only immigrants legally residing in the United States are eligible to enlist in the America’s armed forces. As the war in Iraq and Afghanistan grind on and the strain of manpower becomes evident in our nations armed forces, the proposal to induct more and more noncitizens is looking better and better. As Thomas Donnelly, a military scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute in Washington reported on the Navy Marine Corps News station “It works as a military idea and it works in the context of American immigration.”
1 comment:
Hi Miguel,
Very interesting topic, and I think you make a very persuasive argument for the inclusion of non-citizen soldiers in the United States military. When it comes to the topic of immigration, I often hear arguments that the people who come to live here do not love the U.S. the way American-born citizens do, or that they often do not attempt to learn the language or appreciate the culture, and so on. While this isn’t entirely true, I agree with you that it would be a good way for immigrants to integrate into American culture and quell the fears of those who think the culture will be lost or not appreciated. I also think it would help calm those who ardently oppose immigration (and especially illegal immigration) if they knew that these immigrants were “earning” their citizenship. People in opposition might also be appreciative of the fact that they or their children will not have to fight because other people are willing to do it for them. That might be an interesting argument to include in your blog, especially if there was information or quotes from anti-immigration supporters who might find advantages of allowing non-citizens in the military.
You have a great point that immigrants bring with them a new wealth of knowledge that U.S.-born soldiers may not have, such as different language skills, general knowledge, thought processes, opinions and perspectives. However, I do wonder why leaders believe it would be beneficial to put all legal and illegal immigrants in a “freedom legion,” rather than spread throughout the military. In my opinion, it would make every branch of the armed forces stronger to have diverse troops, so all soldiers’ strengths and weakensses would balance and complement each other. In this way, immigrants would be better able to learn and integrate into America if surrounded by both non-citizens and Americans. I am also curious as to how much the military would benefit from allowing non-citizens to join. In other words, are there any facts about how much the military’s recruitment levels would rise? How many new soldiers would join?
I appreciate the perspective of this post, thank you for bringing this to the attention of the blogosphere.
Devon
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