Posted on 05/29/2009 11:54:17 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
A Korean Invasion Blindsides the U.S. Army -- but in a Good Way
Immigrants From Peninsula Swamp Program Offering Citizenship; Other Groups Squeezed
By MIRIAM JORDAN
LOS ANGELES -- Suk Joon Lee, a South Korean immigrant, feared his days in the U.S. were numbered. His ice-cream shop wasn't doing well, and if it failed, his investor visa could be revoked.
Then Mr. Lee stumbled upon a Korean-language Web site that described a way out: a program that the Army was about to launch that offered a shortcut to getting U.S. citizenship. The site was created by another Korean immigrant, James Hwang, and it explained in minute detail the steps required to qualify.
"James knew everything about the program, and he wasn't even in the military," says the 27-year-old Mr. Lee. In February, Mr. Lee, along with hundreds of other Korean immigrants who had learned about the pilot program from Mr. Hwang, descended on Army recruiting centers in New York to enlist.
Non-Citizen Force View Interactive
See details on which foreign nationals are serving in U.S. forces. The program was authorized without fanfare late last year by Defense Secretary Robert Gates to attract temporary immigrants who speak strategically important languages such as Arabic, Farsi and Korean. The bait: The soldiers could immediately apply for U.S. citizenship, skipping the sometimes decadelong process of securing a green card first.
So many Koreans have applied, however, that the Army doesn't need them all.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Ping!
yitbos
Now this is funny!
Pretty sure the US has had this program in one form or another for a very long time.
I would trade everyone of those willing to serve for any number of ungrateful spoiled brats we have on our college campuses!
Or those coming across the southern border illegally. Touting pride in the Mexican culture with a Mexican flag plastered across the back of their truck. Not paying taxes. Not learning English. Expecting me to know Spanish. Expecting their handouts.
The program is not based on race or nationality. It is based on the languages spoken. If a Filipino spoke Korean, they could apply.
yitbos
Ahhh, I see. Sorry, I missed the reference.
I quickly reviewed my copy of "Ancient Rome" (Nigel Rodgers). Apparently there were leadership problems in the Roman Forces and service was limited to those to owned land. In 107 BC Marius rescued the military by reforming the Army and allowing members of the propertyless class to serve. Rome also granted citizenship to those they had conquered.
The following apprears to be the key to the Fall of Rome: The Senate failed to look after demobilized soldiers so they started looking to their generals for reward. "Powerful Roman generals- built up armies that were loyal to them rather than to the state, and could use them for personal reasons....(many of these armies marched on Rome instead of the enemy) From Marius' reforms until the end of the Republic, Rome's armies were used against each other almost as much as against foreign enemies. This wrecked the Republic."
Basically is appears that politization of the military caused the fall. -- One historian's take on it.
On the other hand Peter Heather makes an good case for the fall of Rome being due to external forces. First the Persians, and then the Huns and Vandals.
The Huns (and related groups), migrated across western Europe, Iberia, North Africa, and finally capturing Rome’s breadbasket.
The Western Empire (Rome proper) was left with too few resources to defend her borders; in the end, too few to defend even the capital. The still reasonably prosperous eastern empire nearly bankrupted itself coming to the aid of Rome, but that was also of no avail.
Thus, the dark ages began.
Of course, one could argue that the strategic mistakes that were made, were due to structural weaknesses in Roman society and governance, and perhaps vice versa, and that these were the ultimate cause for the success of the enemies of Rome.
Well that is true going back to Sulla, who used Roman troops to take Rome and was 200 years before Marius.
Even the first Triumvirate was basically three military men who set up a military dictatorship (with men loyal to them) and ruled the Republic, or what was left, jointly.
When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon, a crime at the time, and took Rome demanding the office of Magister Populi (or Dictator- one who dictates) normally a 6 month office but he wanted to be named for 10 years, he used men loyal to him personally and promised them gold from the Senate.
I was thinking more of the late Western Empire where it was the barbarians who were the army as Roman citizens opted out.
>> I was referring to Filipinos participating in WWII <<
I don’t know what the rules are now. But for many years, including after WW II, Filipinos were allowed to join the U. S. Navy while still in the Philippins — whereas foreigners from every other country were required to be physically present in the U.S. before they could join the U. S. armed forces.
(Maybe the Filipinos were also allowed to join the U. S. Army and Air Force while still in the P. I. Just not sure about that aspect of the matter.)
Good point.
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