Photo By Staff Sgt. James Bunn | Pv2. Ye Chan Seung receives his Certificate of Naturalization during a ceremony, Nov....... read more read more
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JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Joint Base Lewis-McChord hosted a naturalization ceremony in honor of Veterans Day Nov. 7, where nine active and former service members took the last step in becoming an American citizen when they took the oath of allegiance.
“The candidates today are all veterans and are also citizens of other countries,” said Tammy Miller, branch chief of the Seattle field office of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. “They are here today to take the oath of allegiance and become citizens of the country they already serve.”
The service members’ origins range from America Samoa, Ecuador, Haiti, Mexico, the Philippians, Poland and South Korea.
“I’m originally from America Samoa,” said Daymond Parker, a former Army infantryman. “It’s very emotional for me thinking about becoming a naturalized citizen. There’s also a lot of pride for me being here where I served with other veterans.”
On July 3, 2002, President George W. Bush signed an executive order that allowed all non-citizens that served in the military on or after Sept. 11, 2001, to file for citizenship immediately. Over 100,000 service members have received citizenship since the signing the order. Service members can now become Americans within a year of joining the military.
“The USCIS has a special relationship with the military,” said Miller. “We have a team dedicated to handling all military applications. We want to make sure our veterans and their families are taken care of as soon as possible so they can receive the benefits they need.”
Obtaining American citizen can be a long process for non-service members. Immigrants need to legally reside in the country for a set time, possess good moral character, understand the English language, know about American civics and be willing to take an oath to the nation.
It takes a minimum of five years for legal residence to earn their citizenship and for family members of citizens it takes three. In special cases, it can take up to ten years for people to gain citizenship.
“It is an honor for me to speak to you today because I myself immigrated to this country 21 years ago from Haiti,” said Navy Chief Petty Officer Jean Hero Lamy, career counselor at Naval Base Kitsap and the guest speaker at the ceremony. “Our American journey would not be possible without the generations of immigrants who have come to our shores from every corner of the globe. Immigrants help build this nation, preserve the union and still fight to win our wars.”
The newest Americans were welcomed during the ceremony and reminded of the contribution of other immigrants to the building of their new home.
“I want you all to remember to honor and respect this great country and continue to support and defend the Constitution,” said Col. H. Charles Hodges, JBLM commander. “Let us live our lives to the fullest knowing there is the guarantee of liberty and opportunity. I am proud of each of you and honored to call you fellow service members and fellow citizens.”
| Date Taken: | 11.07.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 11.10.2014 20:42 |
| Story ID: | 147521 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 84 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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