So one DOES NOT have to be an American citizen to join the US military?
http://www.shusterman.com/siu.html#4
Shusterman's Immigration Update July 2002
4. Executive Order Expedites Military Naturalization
On July 3, President Bush signed an Executive Order 13269 which waives the normal residency and physical presence requirements for certain non-citizens serving in the Armed Forces of the United States. It is estimated that there are over 15,000 men and women who are affected by this order. While non-citizens are eligible to enlist in the military, only U.S. citizens can be promoted to commissioned or warrant officers, or serve in special warfare programs such as the Navy SEALs.On July 4, the President proclaimed to a crowd that "thousands of our men and women in uniform were born in other countries and now spend each day in honorable service to their adopted land. Many of them are still waiting for the chance to become American citizens."
Under the order, anyone with active-duty service in the military since September 11, 2001 is eligible to apply for naturalization provided that they enlisted, or re-enlisted, in the U.S. or in certain other designated places.
Importantly, it is not necessary that the applicant still be in the military, or that he/she be a permanent resident of the United States. It is even possible to naturalize if the person is illegally present in the U.S.
Applicants under the Executive Order (issued pursuant to §329 of the Immigration and Nationality Act) must comply with other naturalization requirements such as the English and history/government examinations, and must demonstrate that they are persons of good moral character.
When I served as an INS Citizenship Attorney in the late 1970s, we recommended hundreds of Vietnam veterans for naturalization under a similar Executive Order, and they were sworn-in as U.S. citizens. The fact that many of these veterans had enlisted illegally did not bar them from naturalization as long as the military supported their applications. I can not recall a single instance where the military did not do so.
Significantly, President Bush's order does not contain an expiration date. A non-citizen who joins the military today can immediately apply for naturalization. Also, it is not required that the applicant be involved in combat or in the war against terrorism.
!Here's the fast track to citizenship amigo! Sign on the line, get your uniform and rifle, and in no time you can be pulling highway checkpoint duty, searching gringos for illegal weapons.
Just follow orders Pepe, and !Ay Caramba!
!It's Even easier than crossing the border was!
BTW, being a non-citizen does not equate to illegal alien. I personaly know a "southern" female serving in the Dakotas and her husband is with her. Fine people of great moral character and definatly not illegal.