Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Russian Ministry of Defense: 37 Ukrainian drones destroyed in 4 hours over regions of Russia and the Black Sea.
Sheikh Qassem: Our supporters make up more than half of Lebanon's population, and all of these people are united under the banner of protecting Lebanon, its Resistance, its people, and its integrity.
Sheikh Qassem: There will be no phased handing in of our arms. [The Israelis] must first enact the agreement before we start talking about a defensive strategy.
Sheikh Qassem: Be brave in the face of foreign pressures, and we will be by your side in this stance.
Sheikh Qassem: Stripping us of our arms is like stripping us of our very soul, and this will prompt us to show them our might.
Sheikh Qassem: We will not abandon our arms, for they gave us dignity; we will not abandon our arms, for they protect us against our enemy.
Sheikh Qassem: The US efforts we are seeing are aimed at sabotaging Lebanon and constitute a call for sedition.
Sheikh Qassem: If you truly want to establish sovereignty and work for Lebanon’s interests, then stop the aggression.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States, which is meddling in Lebanon, is not trustworthy but rather poses a danger to it.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States is preventing the weapons that protect the homeland.

Citizenship for service; another desperate US army conscription bid

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News Websites
  • 12 Jun 2023 19:07
3 Min Read

Struggling to fill recruiting gaps, the Army and Air Force have increased their marketing efforts to persuade legal immigrants to enroll.

  • x
  • How the US is trading citizenship for immigrants enlisting in the Army
    Airman 1st Class D'elbrah Assamoi, from Cote D'Ivoire, signs her US certificate of citizenship after the Basic Military Training Coin Ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, in San Antonio, April 26, 2023. (AP)

Esmita Spudes Bidari has recently joined the US Army Reserves after a recent aggressive campaign to enlist immigrants has been taking place. What is the US offering them? A fast-track citizenship. 

Struggling to fill recruiting gaps, the Army and Air Force have increased their marketing efforts to persuade legal residents to enroll, expanding their campaign, especially in inner cities. One critical component is the employment of recruiters with histories comparable to potential recruits.

Bidari affirmed that this method was useful as she explained that she was contacted by Army Staff Sgt. Kalden Lama, the Dallas recruiter, on Facebook, in a group for Nepalese people in America.

“That brother was in the group and he was recruiting and he told me about the military," Bidari detailed.

The quick road to citizenship is crucial for Bidari, who came to the US in 2016 as a college student. The citizenship will allow her to bring her parents to the US.

Read more: Desperate US military using e-girls to recruit Gen Z into service

The Army, Air Force, and Navy have all stated that they will fall short of their recruiting objectives this year. Increasing the number of legal immigrants may not give enormous numbers, but any minor increases would assist. The Marine Corps is the only military that is on track to reach its target.

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Al Mayadeen English (@almayadeenenglish)

The shortcomings have brought about new recruiting programs, campaigns, and other incentives to compete with higher-paying, less dangerous positions.

Related News

Trump announces death penalty policy for all murders in Washington DC

Tom Barrack's imperial tantrum in Beirut: When entitlement speaks

Furthermore, US officials claim that only around 20% of those who apply meet the physical, mental, and character requirements to join.

One key factor deterring young people from enlisting in the army is the mental health issues reported by active-duty service members in recent years. According to the Pentagon, suicide rates among active-duty service members increased by 40% from 2015 to 2020.

According to Air Force Maj. Gen. Ed Thomas, head of the service’s recruiting command, “We have large populations of legal U.S. residents who are exceptionally patriotic, they’re exceptionally grateful for the opportunities that this country has provided."

The most difficult hurdles have been locating geographic pockets of immigrant communities, determining how to approach them, and assisting any interested individuals in navigating the rigorous military recruitment forms and procedures.

The Army reintroduced a program in October that allows lawful permanent residents to seek rapid naturalization after they begin basic training. Recruiters utilized social media in a variety of languages to target the top ten nations from whom recruits had arrived the previous year.

The Air Force followed suit this year, with the first set of 14 completing basic training and being sworn in as new citizens in April.

According to Thomas, exceptional measures have to be taken for the vetting process, noting that some are not put in positions that require top-secret clearance right away.

Recruits are swiftly enrolled in the citizenship system under the new program, and when they begin basic training, an accelerated procedure begins, including all essential documentation and testing. When Air Force recruits complete their seven weeks of training, the procedure is complete, and they are sworn in as citizens of the United States.

The largest numbers of those enlisting come from Jamaica, Mexico, the Philippines, and Haiti. 

Due to the failure to reach its recruitment target, the #US military tried something different, enlisting students into their J.R.O.T.C. military program without their permission. pic.twitter.com/f4OgW4gpO7

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) December 17, 2022

  • United States
  • US Marine Corps
  • us mar
  • US Air Force
  • US Army

Most Read

Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025
Launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen toward the occupied Palestinian territories. (YAF military media)

Yemeni Forces announce firing hypersonic missile at Al-Lydd Airport

  • Politics
  • 22 Aug 2025
The ‘Arab Façade’ for Israeli occupation in Gaza

The ‘Arab Façade’ for Israeli occupation in Gaza

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu deliberately derailing truce with Gaza occupation: Hamas

Irish President Michael Higgins arrives to deliver his speech during a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Politics

Irish president renews call for UN military intervention in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the US Embassy in Aukar, northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy, Netanyahu discuss restraining attacks on Lebanon, withdrawal

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in multiple areas in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ansar Allah vow sustained Gaza support despite Israeli strikes

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS