By Sgt. Angiene L. Myers
4th Sustainment Brigade
CAMP AIRIFJAN, Kuwait – San Diego, Calif., native Michael De Los Santos, a specialist in the U.S. Army became a U.S. citizen on April 5 at a naturalization ceremony held at the chapel.
De Los Santos, a Human Resource Specialist with the 1-160th Infantry Battalion based out of Inglewood, Calif., is originally from the Philippines and is currently serving his first tour in Kuwait in support of the global war on terror.
Like the rest of the Soldiers, De Los Santos was inspired to become a citizen of the country that he pledged to protect when he enlisted in the California National Guard.
"My father is the person who inspired me to become a U.S. Citizen. He had just recently received his naturalization and his hard work and tireless efforts to bring me to the U.S made me want to become a citizen," said De Los Santos.
Applicants applying for citizenship of the Unites States would have to wait at least 10 years, but as a member of a military service, De Los Santos was eligible to apply as soon as his enlistment began.
"My naturalization only took four to five months to get processed and being in the military benefited me greatly by expediting the whole process. I didn't have to deal with any predicaments that my father had, such as finding out what documents to get and how to fill it out," said De Los Santos.
During the ceremony, De Los Santos promised to support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic, as a Soldier, this promise is not far from the oath he took as recruit when he enlisted in the Army.
"It's an honor to be a U.S. Citizen, that is why I'm in the military right now. I've joined the service to give back something to this country," said De Los Santos.
Sixty-two service members from 25 different countries representing three different branches of the U.S. military participated in the naturalization ceremony.
"It is really a commitment that all 62 are about to make," said Lt. Gen. James J. Lovelace, the U.S. Army Central Command commanding general, "it's a commitment they made long ago when they joined the military and pledged allegiance to the Constitution of the United States."
"The treasure of freedom is great," he said, "because we as service members serve in countries that don't have the liberty that we as Americans do."
"These 62 individuals took an oath and began a journey of honorable service to our country, which is to become their country," Lovelace said.
"These service members are about to become equal members of the American family," he said.
| Date Taken: | 04.10.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 04.10.2008 01:29 |
| Story ID: | 18255 |
| Location: |
| Web Views: | 67 |
| Downloads: | 48 |
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