What do you think, should we allow non-citizens to serve?

[Ken The Kanuck]

I know many here have served and the US allows non-citizens in it's military I thought some may have an opinion.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/caf-military-foreign-recruits-1.4675889

Thanks

KTK

[Vern Humphrey]

Non-citizens can serve in the US Army -- in fact, Canadians frequently tell us that more Canadians served in the US Army in Viet Nam than Canada accepted deserters and draft dodgers. My position is anyone who volunteers and meets the acceptance criteria ought to be allowed to serve, and ought to receive his citizenship along with his honorable discharge.

[Major Tom]

When I served in the mid 60's, we had a German guy who had enlisted in the Army. After his 3 year term he was granted U.S. citizenship. He and I served together in 'Nam. Best trooper we had!

[SloopJohnB]

Yes, if they meet the requirements. If they serve honorably, they should be considered for citizenship.

[Herschel]

I agree with Vern Humphrey. If they complete their enlistment and get a honorable discharge they should get their citizenship along with the discharge. Non citizens can be considered for citizenship without ever serving in the U S Military.

[Mark in Ottawa]

I don't see a problem with it subject to obvious limitations (no suspected or potential communists or jihadis)

[Allen]

I disagree for the most part. Non-citizens means illegals. Military service should not become a path for them. We have a limited number that we allow to become citizens. These folks are merely getting ahead of everyone else by ignoring and defying our laws. Some of them like the DACA's that did not break our laws themselves could be considered but those who scaled our fences and got smuggled in? No.

[JB White]

Non-citizens means illegals.

Absolutely not correct. There are more legal resident aliens here than illegal border jumpers.

Ken, allowing non-citizens to serve in the Canadian armed forces is strictly up to them. I can see no reason why not. The mother country and several commonwealths already do. So, why not Canada?

[m1ashooter]

As I read the article its about opening enlistment to non citizens because not enough citizens are enlisting to protect the country and not enough are enlisting to fill the diversity goals!!! So why can't the ranks be filled from the citizen pool. We have a problem in the states in that its estimated 75% of our youth can not meet enlistment standards. Of the remaining 25% around 1% enlist. Does Canada have the same problem? In my opinion allowing non citizens to enlist to fill gov't directed diversity quotas is detrimental to the mission of the armed forces. I'm all for allowing non citizens to service in the armed forces if they serious about defending the nation they live in.

[Vern Humphrey]

I don't see a problem with it subject to obvious limitations (no suspected or potential communists or jihadis)

Those people would either not be allowed to enlist, or screened out afterwards. They wouldn't be honorably discharged.

I'm talking about jihidists, of course. Communists of course, would be virtually anyone from Massachusetts, NYC and much of California.

[togor]

Those people would either not be allowed to enlist, or screened out afterwards. They wouldn't be honorably discharged.

I'm talking about jihidists, of course. Communists of course, would be virtually anyone from Massachusetts, NYC and much of California.

LOL, as if everyone from MA, CA, or NYC is some kind of leftist p*ssy. A lot of tough guys come from those places.

[jjrothWA]

One of the Marines of Iwo Jima, was a registeres alien, back in 012/ 13, the USMC awarded his sister his citizenship papers.

This is a valid process for those that want to be legal, those that don't want the gravy not the responsibility.
JHR

[TomSudz]

No problem with non-citizens serving. I served with a South Korean, a West German, and a Filipino. All fine soldiers.

[JiminLE]

I served with non-citizens in the Navy during the 70's. I personally believe that if you serve a minimum of 6 years ACTIVE duty you should get your citizenship papers along with your Honorable discharge. Quite a few Filipinos would stay for 20 plus years and retire the go back to the Philippines and live on their retirement. At least they earned it.

[Sunray]

How does one determine the potential of a communist or jihadist?
Non-citizens enlisting to gain citizenship goes back to the Roman Empire. The CF can't fill the requirements now. Nothing unusual about it though. Enlistments tend to be cyclical based on the economy. Up when jobs are scarce. Down when they are not.
"...youth can not meet enlistment standards..." Mostly the physical ones? Or the educational requirements too? The former is caused by then being glued to chairs in front of computers. Most of those wouldn't consider enlisting anyway. The latter is too many high school drop outs.
"Non-citizens means illegals." is nonsense.

[dryheat]

I think this is how the Roman empire declined; they got to lazy and rich to fight their own wars.

[Vern Humphrey]

I think this is how the Roman empire declined; they got to lazy and rich to fight their own wars.
The Roman Armies were originally militia armies -- men signed up with their helmets, swords, etc. About 100 BC they were in such a pickle they signed up men who could not afford swords and so on, so the Treasury had to buy them. When these men were discharged, they were armed, trained and battle hardened. The Roman upper classes were afraid of them, but their generals had the answer -- don't bring them back to Rome, but give them some of the land they conquered.


Over time, Rome began enlisting not only the poor, but whole barbarian tribes -- who were even more dangerous than armed paupers. Instead of waiting for their generals to give them land, they took it.

[Former Cav]

Non-citizens can serve in the US Army -- in fact, Canadians frequently tell us that more Canadians served in the US Army in Viet Nam than Canada accepted deserters and draft dodgers. My position is anyone who volunteers and meets the acceptance criteria ought to be allowed to serve, and ought to receive his citizenship along with his honorable discharge.

I agree with Vern Humphrey. add a few tidbits to it though... such as SCREEN out the muslims. (and communists etc)
if anybody here believes their are "moderate muslims" they need to do a google search on the PM of Turkey, Erdogan, he was asked about moderates and he said "there is no such thing, islam is islam"!! go here to read it>> https://www.rt.com/news/409532-erdogan-rejects-moderate-islam/
They are NOT COMPATIBLE with the American way of life PERIOD.

[S.A. Boggs]

What is a "Citizen?" just someone born here or someone willing to do some type of service for the Republic? Americans, on general, have it pretty easy even the poor are better off here then in other places. I personally feel some type of personal service to the Republic be a requirement of citizenship that is inescapable, kinda like paying your dues. Serving in the military, doing a community service job, law enforcement, E.M.S./fire things in this line. I feel better knowing that I did something for my fellow citizens as I saw the results. A person becoming a teacher is bettering the community, law enforcement/fire/E.M.S./ is bettering the community. In my community we have a volunteer fire department that has many rural youth in the ranks to help where they live. Sheriff's Department has a youth division where they learn about law enforcement and later go into it as a profession. In high school our daughter mentored mentally retarded cohorts as her service and did quite well, our son was an E-5 Ranger, my wife volunteered at the school our kids went to and I worked with the mentally ill. If a person can combine a profession with their community service so much the better. @ the S.O. our radio repairman was a volunteer who's full time job was servicing radio telephone equipment for the phone company, Marty also worked part time with us at the E.M.S, where I worked/volunteered part time.
Sam

[blackhawknj]

The Communists and Jihadists can "walk point", be formed into shock battalions, etc. Someone's got to clear the minefields and the IEDs.

[Art]

The United States Military has always allowed aliens to serve. Check out the roster of Custer's 7th Cavalry. In fact the old I&N law stated that failure of an alien to report for induction was a permanent bar to citizenship, I'm sure that's gone now.

My Basic Training platoon at Ft. Polk in the summer of '69 had two aliens, both Latinos from Central America. One as I recall was not a legal permanent resident.

When I worked for the old INS in New York City in the early - mid '70s, my most aggravating "nothing" case involved a Haitian applicant for citizenship. The fellow was a student at Colombia but had served four years previously in the U.S. Army including a tour in Vietnam which resulted in his receiving a Purple Heart and a bronze star. While on a tour in Germany he married a German woman, that didn't work out and he came home one day to find her gone. Well the old boy comes in for his naturalization interview and the examiner asked about his living arrangements. The said decorated veteran repliess he shared an apartment on the west side with two other students, a man and his girlfriend. The examiner then asks if he's "done the nasty" with the female roommate and he replies in the affirmative. The examiner referred the case for investigation since the Vietnam vet was an adulterer. I "drew the black bean" and got this dog of a case I told my boss that this was the stupidest thing I'd ever heard in my life, he agreed but it had been referred so had to be done. I went to see the old boy, who deserved citizenship more than a lot of people born with it, and asked him about the details. He said he hadn't divorced his wife because he couldn't find her and other things, like finishing at Colombia were higher on his list. He said "I didn't know that to be a citizen I had to live like a monk." You could make an investigative comment on the report and for one of the few times I did stating that the case should never have been referred and was a waste of government time and money as well as an unnecessary inconvenience to the applicant.

[Former Cav]

He said "I didn't know that to be a citizen I had to live like a monk." You could make an investigative comment on the report and for one of the few times I did stating that the case should never have been referred and was a waste of government time and money as well as an unnecessary inconvenience to the applicant.

good one on you Art!! +

[Dolt]

I agree with Vern Humphrey. If they complete their enlistment and get a honorable discharge they should get their citizenship along with the discharge. Non citizens can be considered for citizenship without ever serving in the U S Military.

I think that would be a great path to citizenship as long as they are loyal to the US and competent in their military field.

[Sandpebble]

Legionaires can stay in Paris after 5 years service.... and no one cries foul when they are sent to the harshest duty stations at the beginning of their 5 yr enlistment ... nor when they stay in Paris

[snakehunter]

When I served in the mid 60's, we had a German guy who had enlisted in the Army. After his 3 year term he was granted U.S. citizenship. He and I served together in 'Nam. Best trooper we had!

I served with two Hungarian guys and the same deal applied to them. One served in the Hungarian Army before coming to the U.S. Both were good soldiers.