Courtesy Photo | Spc. Nigel Buoga (left) stands with Sgt. 1st Class Michael Hamby, his platoon...... read more read more
Subscribe
FORT STEWART, Ga. – Spc. Nigel Buoga, a native of Nairobi, Kenya, and an infantryman with 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, completed a long quest to become a U.S. citizen Jan. 16, 2015, only one day after the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.
After arriving to the United States in 2006, Buoga earned a degree in economics from Drake University, Iowa, in 2010. In 2014, he enlisted in the Army and currently serves as a radio telephone operator with Company B, 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th IBCT, where he proved to be vital in providing timely, accurate and effective communication. Buoga, 26, said he originally planned to be an officer in the Aviation Corps, but the option was not available because he was not yet a citizen.
“I overloaded him with expectations, and he met every one of those expectations and exceeded them,” said Sgt. 1st Class Michael Hamby, Buoga’s platoon sergeant.
Buoga talked about economics with a certain level of passion that translates well into information management and said he enjoys trying to keep a top-down view of a changing battlefield to relay the information to those who need it.
Hamby said it was important for Buoga to become a U.S. citizen in order for him to perform duties that required the appropriate level of security clearance. “We saw that this is the right person for that job.”
Buoga’s company leadership took the initiative and contacted U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as the unit prepared for the Vanguard Brigade’s field exercise and a training exercise at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana, scheduled in the summer.
“We had contacted USCIS and asked them if there was any way to expedite his citizenship process, so it doesn’t come down that he would have the swearing in ceremony while we’re at JRTC or deployed,” said Hamby.
On Jan. 15, Buoga answered a call requesting him to attend the citizenship ceremony in Atlanta the following morning, and his leaders were ready to support him.
Buoga, who has two brothers also in the U.S. and his mother in Kenya, was upset his family would be unable to attend the ceremony due to the short notice, but Hamby, whose wife is also seeking U.S. citizenship, offered to accompany him.
“I’ll go,” said Hamby. “I’ll be your family.”
Buoga, who was a step closer to reaching a lifelong opportunity, made the trip with Hamby and arrived at the Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta where 80 immigrants from 43 countries would also share the experience. Buoga, who has a soft spoken confidence about him, was asked to lead the new American citizens in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
“The director made a point to use him as an example to all the other immigrants and say this is what we’re looking for in our immigrants, not just to join in the military, but to do something for this nation,” said Hamby. “Before he was even a citizen of this nation, he’s been in uniform swearing to another oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Buoga said swearing in as a citizen over the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday was appropriate because, “[I] understand that this man was fighting for the same exact things that we were fighting for back home.”
Buoga said when Kenya earned its independence in 1963 it was going through similar civil rights battles as the U.S.
“People think that racism doesn’t exist in Africa; it does,” said Buoga, but emphasized King’s similar message of forgiving and coming together to prevent the same mistakes.
“The way you learn about each other is you accept mistakes were made, shake hands and ... together you move on; MLK preached that,” Buoga, said.
The Army has opened opportunities for Buoga and he said he wants to share his experiences with others. “I’m here, I’m different, but my differences are what makes me part of America,” Buoga said. “I’ve always been sort of an American at heart.”
He now plans to attend officer or warrant officer candidate school, and also sponsor his mother for citizenship.
Hamby concluded this was probably his most memorable and an appropriate Martin Luther King Jr. holiday experience but is now afraid that if “somebody finds out we have such talent in an infantry platoon that they’ll pull him to go work for a brigade commander or something,” he said. “He will probably be one of our Army’s most outstanding officers.”
| Date Taken: | 01.16.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 01.21.2015 13:40 |
| Story ID: | 152384 |
| Location: | FORT STEWART, GA, US |
| Hometown: | NAIROBI, KE |
| Web Views: | 333 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, African-born US soldier leads pledge for new American citizens, by SGT Joshua Laidacker, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT