A wish before deploying to Iraq: citizenship

[308Mike]

Linkarooni

A wish before deploying to Iraq: citizenship

By Kevin Maurer and Mitch Weiss - The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Dec 28, 2008 13:29:12 EST

HAMLET, N.C. — When Staff Sgt. Rene Reale deploys to Iraq for the second time early next year, he’ll risk his life fighting alongside his fellow members of the North Carolina National Guard.

But when it comes to choosing a commander-in-chief, Reale has no say. As an British citizen, Reale was unable to vote in the November election. And that’s something he’d like to change.

As a combat veteran, the 40-year-old Reale is eligible for citizenship under rules signed by President George W. Bush in 2004 that streamlined the process for service members fighting in the U.S. military. More than 5,000 soldiers have become U.S. citizens since then, and several thousand more, including Reale, are in the pipeline.

More of this story..............

[Lokidude]

Give the man what he wants! He's wearing the uniform, and has already been in harm's way under our flag once. Before he goes back to the litterbox, I'd say he's earned his citizenship, earned it the hard way.

[Jered]

So WTF, they'll let ten million Mexicans that snuck in here vote, but some Brit who is in the military can't?

[Dub_James]

So WTF, they'll let ten million Mexicans that snuck in here vote, but some Brit who is in the military can't?

Basically, yes. You see, he's only one vote. Those ten million Mexicans? Well...

[blackeagle603]

Sounds like he just got the application ball rolling as result of the election year.

He'll get it. Just a matter of queue time now. God bless him and his family, and may God continue to bless America with patriotic immigrants like this man.

[308Mike]

I wish we could do the same thing for HighSpeed.