Photo By Spc. Samuel Signor | After taking the Oath of Citizenship, 42 Service Members and civilians group together...... read more read more
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On September 27, 2022, the 21st Theater Sustainment Commander, Maj. Gen. James Smith, welcomed and gave congratulations to 42 new citizens of the United States of America at a ceremony held at Sembach Kaserne, Kaiserslautern, Germany. The new U.S citizens represented 29 countries of origin and included 17 Service Members. His remarks are below.
Good Afternoon, to our new citizens, friends, families, loved ones,… and members of Team 21 that are with us today in person, and virtually.
I would be remiss to not first extend my greetings to Ms. “Eloris James” from the Immigration Services Office ….who joined us virtually today to give the oath… and her own words of congratulations and encouragement. Also welcome to Team 21 and the greater community.. and thank you for coming today to recognize such an outstanding group of individuals.
First, to the 17 Service members who can now proudly call themselves American citizens…… Congratulations!
Thank you for what you do. It is essential that we pause and take time to acknowledge your dedication to service and commitment to our nation despite not having all of the privileges that were afforded to your peers who were already United States citizens.
Choosing to serve in the United States Armed Forces is not a decision that anyone takes lightly. So, for your decision to choose to serve this country, thank you!
As a U.S. Service Member, you not only protect the United States and its citizens from direct threats, but you also help maintain peace and stability throughout the world—perhaps even in your country of origin.
Service members born in the Philippines, Mexico, Jamaica, China, and South Korea are the top five countries of birth among naturalized service members since 2017.
The next five countries of birth— Nigeria, Ghana, India, Haiti, and Nepal—comprised an additional 17% of military naturalizations.
To highlight a few within our own ranks, Spc. Chanda Devkota, a dental assistant at Landstuhl, is from one of these countries—Nepal. She looks forward to being able to vote and continue to serve.
Spc. Odor Zeff is from Nigeria and sees becoming a U.S citizen as a way for him to keep helping as many people as possible.
Spc. Natalie Gustave, a Blackhawk mechanic, is from Haiti. She looks forward to making a career out of her military service.
Spc. Joycelyn Nicolas is from the Philippines, and always dreamed of coming to the U.S. She is passionate about giving back to the country that welcomed her.
Our Armed Forces are stronger with this diversity among our ranks, and our country benefits from this diversity among our citizenry.
Since 2002, the U.S. Citizenship and Naturalization Services naturalized more than 148,000 U.S. military servicemembers, both at home and abroad, with ceremonies from right here in Kaiserslautern to more than 30 countries across the globe.
I’m pleased to note that in the last five years, service members from the Army comprised about two-thirds of all military naturalizations. Hooah!
To the 25 spouses that are amongst us today as new American citizens, thank you for your continued trust and faith in our military.
Your support is what keeps our organization strong, and we remain grateful for your decision to continue to support our Service Members and the ideals of our nation.
In taking this solemn oath to “support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America,” you have demonstrated your expressed allegiance to the principals that have made our country great. We are here today to honor and celebrate this important decision in your life.
E pluribus unum is a phrase that appears on the great seal of the United States of America. It is on every American dollar bill and every U.S. coin. E pluribus unum means “out of many, one" and I can’t think of a better embodiment of that phrase than today’s naturalization ceremony.
Today, we are the real world example of this phrase—out of the many of us—we are one team. Americans!
At the beginning of this ceremony, you stood as individuals representing 29 countries from Belize to the United Kingdom. You now stand proud, together, as American citizens. Each of you come from unique backgrounds, with full potential to utilize your skills, strengths and abilities to continue to make our country a beacon of hope. In the words of our Commander-in-Chief, “Thank you for choosing us and believing America is worthy of your aspirations.”
I congratulate each of you on reaching this important milestone! Your hard work and your determination have led you here. I am honored to be a part of such a tremendous moment in your lives.
Your spirit and dedication will uphold America’s tradition of providing hope and opportunity for those who will follow in your footsteps!.
Congratulations Again!
First in Support!
Stronger Together!
| Date Taken: | 09.27.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 09.28.2022 08:02 |
| Story ID: | 430234 |
| Location: | KAISERSLAUTERN, RHEINLAND-PFALZ, DE |
| Web Views: | 88 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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