May
30
A group of 19 US soldiers currently serving in Afghanistan took the Oath of Allegiance on Memorial Day (29MAY07), completing the process of becoming official US citizens.
The 19 active-duty service men and women took the Oath on Bagram Airfield as part of a naturalization ceremony. US ambassador to Afghanistan William Wood delivered the keynote address and gave the soldiers their certificates of citizenship.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officer-in-charge Pamela Hutchings led the soldiers in the Oath of Allegiance while commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division and Combined Joint Task Force-82 Maj. Gen. David Rodriguez assisted Ambassador Wood with the citizenship certificates.
Maj. Gen. Rodriguez says, “Today is a day for celebration as we welcome our brothers and sisters in arms as they take their places as members of the greatest democracy on the earth. There is no better way for us to recognize the sacrifices they are making here than to grant them the right to call themselves Americans. They join over 20,000 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who, since 2002, have taken the oath of citizenship during the war on terror and become a citizen of the nation they have risked their lives to defend. We want to say to every one of you; we are proud of the job you are doing here. We are proud that you chose to become a citizen of the United States of America. We are proud to be your leaders.”
Ambassador Wood adds, “It is a pleasure to participate in today’s ceremony. I can’t think of any place I would rather be than here on Memorial Day to assist with this naturalization ceremony for our service members. The United States of America has no greater strength than our newest citizens, who by their service and by their oath have joined forever our country and our effort and our values.
“The United States is a country where people strive daily to turn their hopes into reality and they are afforded opportunities to do so. Hope for a better future, hope for improving economic, religious and political freedom, is what first drew immigrants to the shores of America; and hope is what continues to draw thousands of immigrants to the United States each year. Today, hope shines bright because of you and your exceptional commitment to serve our country and the people of Afghanistan, as we work to advance our common goals of security, development and democracy. I am proud and honored to say ‘thank you for your service to our country and my fellow Americans.’”