<< Back 7/10/02 A commendable tradition of honoring enlisted immigrants SMN President George Bush’s Independence Day decree of immediate citizenship eligibility for 15,000 immigrant soldiers is a welcome reminder of this country’s open policies and its historical reliance on immigrants. The presidential order, signed during ceremonies in Ripley, W.Va., means those men and women who are in the military will not have to wait as long to become citizens. Current law requires legal residents in the military to have three years of residency before applying for naturalization; immigrants not in the military must have five years of legal residency before they can apply for citizenship. There are currently more than 30,000 troops who are not citizens on active duty. About half of those are already eligible for citizenship. To expedite the order, the Immigration and Naturalization Service will set up processing facilities on U.S. bases around the world. Those who apply will be given priority as the paperwork moves through the INS maze. “Our fine service men and women are fighting and winning the war on terror. They deserve the gratitude of all people who cherish freedom,” said the president. The move serves several ends. For these immigrants, it will open many doors. Even in the military, non-citizens have limits placed on them. They can serve as enlisted personnel but are not able to become commissioned or warrant officers. Many good leaders may rise through the ranks thanks to the decree. Military officials also stress that soldier retention has become a critically important issue. As technology has become the calling card of the modern American soldier, training becomes ever more important. By helping immigrants gain citizenship and offering them the opportunity to become officers, our armed forces will quite possibly retain soldiers who had signed up for one tour and had no plans to re-enlist. On a larger scale, Bush was following a practice that has become somewhat of an American tradition. Jimmy Carter signed a similar executive order when the Vietnam War ended, and Bill Clinton did the same after the Persian Gulf War. But the tradition goes way back, even to the Revolutionary War. Some historians say between 10 and 20 percent of the Continental Army camped at Valley Forge with George Washington were mercenary soldiers and blacks (some freemen and some slaves sent to fight for their owners). Many of those soldiers were given land grants, and many of the slaves earned their freedom. It’s a good tradition: you put your life on the line for America and the freedom we cherish, you get welcomed into a nation where you then have the opportunity to rise as far as your ambition and talent will take you. What a fine way to mark Independence Day.