"Green-card" warriors

[shr7]

I know CNN isn't the most popular news site here, so I figure not many have seen these articles. I will reserve my comments as I have yet to serve, but as a civie, I say, "thank you."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/19/gre...ine/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/21/ger...ier/index.html

SR

[The Canadian]

I was a Green-card warrior when I was in the Army. I am currently working on my US citizenship, so I can join back up and head on the path to becoming a QP.

Do any of the QP's on this board know anyone that went SF and was originally from another country?

[Team Sergeant]

Originally Posted by shr7

I know CNN isn't the most popular news site here, so I figure not many have seen these articles. I will reserve my comments as I have yet to serve, but as a civie, I say, "thank you."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/19/gre...ine/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/21/ger...ier/index.html

SR

Now do you have any idea on why cnn might be attempting to make a point with a Green-card" warriors’ story line?

As quoted by cnn: An estimated 20,500 "non-citizens" serve in the U.S. military

And what cnn doesn’t say is the FACT that these individuals are “LEGAL” Immigrants, unlike the 20,000,000 illegal aliens living off the good people of America and costing hundreds of billions in crime, welfare, medical care etc per year and giving nothing in return.

The stories written by those spineless, ultra left wing, white knuckle, pillow biting bottom feeders at cnn are not worth the time to read. But that’s just my opinion.

Originally Posted by The Canadian

I was a Green-card warrior when I was in the Army. I am currently working on my US citizenship, so I can join back up and head on the path to becoming a QP.

Do any of the QP's on this board know anyone that went SF and was originally from another country?

US Army Special Forces probably have most "Green-card" warriors, “LEGAL” Immigrants per capita then any other unit in the US military, but I’m sure you already know that from reading on here and using the search button.

[RichL025]

Originally Posted by The Canadian

I was a Green-card warrior when I was in the Army. I am currently working on my US citizenship, so I can join back up and head on the path to becoming a QP.

Do any of the QP's on this board know anyone that went SF and was originally from another country?

Yes, but not of the "Lodge Bill" variety - a program in the 50s-60s (give or take) where men from eastern europe could join the US Army. Some of them found their way into SF with their language skills and hatred of communism. There's even a humourous story out there about one Lodge Bill guy who joined the army, and found himself on orders for Jump school (without volunteering). Like a good soldier he didn't say a word, graduated jump school, and then found himself on orders for SF (again, without volunteering). Partway through the Q course someone discovered DA's mistake and came up to the guy & asked him if he really wanted to be there... if so please sign these backdated requests

Nowadays, as someone pointed out, you need to be a US citizen to serve in SF. I served with QPs who were born & lived significant parts of their life in Russia and Poland, for example.

Edit: Well, Tm sergeant's comment seems to imply that you DON'T have to be a citizen. My mistake, I thought US citizenship was necessary for a security clearance, but maybe my info is out of date.

[Team Sergeant]

Originally Posted by RichL025

Edit: Well, Tm sergeant's comment seems to imply that you DON'T have to be a citizen. My mistake, I thought US citizenship was necessary for a security clearance, but maybe my info is out of date.

That all depends on what country we're talking about. If I recall US citizenship is still necessary for a security clearance. Most have US citizenship before they join our military.

TS

[longrange1947]

Originally Posted by The Canadian

I was a Green-card warrior when I was in the Army. I am currently working on my US citizenship, so I can join back up and head on the path to becoming a QP.

Do any of the QP's on this board know anyone that went SF and was originally from another country?

Actually an instructor at SFSC is a Green carder before. He is from Nicaragua and is now a US citizen and serving in SF for the past several years. He was originally a Marine, but we try not to hold that against him.

You must be a US citizen to obtain a security clearance to come into SF now. That was not true prior to the 80s. We had Canadians that were waived, however, that changed and a guy I knew that had about seven years in SF was dropped as he still had his Canadian citizenship and not a US. He lost his clearance and left 3/7 in 82 or 83 if I remember correctly.

[sleepyhead4]

I was born in S. Korea and came to the states when I was a kid. However, after living in this great country for so long and getting my citizenship, I consider myself an American (not one of these hyphenated Americans i.e. Korean-American).

For me, I had dual citizenships (Korea and US) until few months before commissioning at which time I had to denounce my Korean citizenship. This was for both security clearance reason as well as not being legally or loyally bound to another government.

[ODA 226]

Originally Posted by The Canadian

I was a Green-card warrior when I was in the Army. I am currently working on my US citizenship, so I can join back up and head on the path to becoming a QP.

Do any of the QP's on this board know anyone that went SF and was originally from another country?

There were many of them in the 10th Group during the 70's. My Team Sergeant was one of them.

[f50lrrp]

Larry Thorne was one, too.

[Surf n Turf]

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant

That all depends on what country we're talking about. If I recall US citizenship is still necessary for a security clearance. Most have US citizenship before they join our military.

TS

Believe this would hold true for “Green Card” holders
IIRC, we use to have reciprocal agreements with certain governments regarding security clearances for work within the Armed Forces. I know the UK MOD, the German BND / MAD / BfV, and (at times) the Thai NIA were amongst them.
At the time, IIRC, We also had a class of documents that was not to be distributed to Foreign Nationals.
When a Foreign National became a US Citizen (Not-green card) each Department /agency had a different policy regarding if, or how, they would allow hiring / and or access to restricted information. I believe several would not hire a Foreign National.

When we worked together, it was assumed they were fully “vetted” by their home government.
Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t (think Kim Philby / Gehlen Organization )

SnT

[Richard]

Guys,

1. I refuse to watch CNN after their FUBAR and wholly falacious presentation of SF in "Tailwind: Valley of Death"

2. The American military has always had so-called "green card warriors"

3. Many of the NCOs/Officers who were my mentors when I first came into SF were guys who had:

• been in the Hitlerjugend or had fought with or against Nazi Germany
• escaped from SovBloc countries and were Polish, Czech, Hungarian, German, and Russian native speakers
• been trained by SF for the Bay of Pigs and, after their release from Cuban prison, returned to the US and joined SF to fight Communists

This is nothing new. Go figure.

Richard

[ODA 226]

Originally Posted by Richard

[*]escaped from SovBloc countries and were Polish, Czech, Hungarian, German, and Russian native speakers

I just remembered that Chief Nikov was one of these.
226

[Richard]

Originally Posted by ODA 226

I just remembered that Chief Nikov was one of these.
226

Some of the names I remember are Skowron, Nagy, Reinitzer, Schiller, Granado, Olchevik, Sobichevsky. There were many more but...f'in CRS at the moment.

Q: How do we classify those we in SF recruited, equipped, trained, led, and paid with US tax $$$? They didn't have green cards, but they did have ID cards we issued them and were carried on our rolls. We didn't call them green card warriors, but gave them names like SF (Strikers), MSF (Mike Force), RFPF (Ruff Puff), SCU (Soo), etc.

Richard

[JustinW20]

Originally Posted by Richard

Some of the names I remember are Skowron, Nagy, Reinitzer, Schiller, Granado, Olchevik, Sobichevsky.

Col. Sobichevsky was the CO at the DLI when I was there. Story was he and his mother WALKED out of Russia when he was a little boy. It was quite a wakeup to all of us linguist to have an SF colonel running the show.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by JustinW20

Col. Sobichevsky was the CO at the DLI when I was there.

Sobi was perceived to be a non-promotable CPT and my B Team CDR in Bad Tolz. SGM Jack Seal--one of the finest SF NCOs I ever knew--was the B Team SGM. Sobi hung in there long enough to catch the rising tide of the formation of SF as a Branch.

Richard