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On September 27, 2022, the 21st Theater Sustainment Commander, Maj. Gen. James Smith, welcomed and congratulated 42 new citizens of the United States of America at a ceremony held in Sembach Kaserne, Kaiserslautern, Germany. The new US citizens represented 29 countries of origin and included 17 service members. His remarks are below.
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Good afternoon, to our new citizens, friends, families, loved ones and Team 21 members who are with us today in person and virtually. I would be remiss if I didn’t first address my regards to Mrs. Eloris James from the Office of Immigration Services who joins us virtually today to take the oath and her own words of congratulations and encouragement. Welcome to Team 21 and thank you for coming today to recognize such an exceptional group of individuals.
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First, to the 17 Service Members who can now proudly call themselves American citizens. thanks for what you do. It is essential that we take the time to recognize your dedication to service and commitment to our nation despite not having all the privileges accorded to your fellow citizens of the United States.
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Choosing to serve in the armed forces of the United States of America is not a decision that no one takes lightly, especially when some of you may be from other countries with extremely impressive backgrounds and records. So, for your decision to choose to serve this country, thank you.
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As a member of the United States service, you not only protect the United States and its citizens from direct threats, but you also help maintain peace and stability around the world, perhaps even in your home country.
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Service members born in the Philippines, Mexico, Jamaica, China, and South Korea are the top five birth countries among naturalized service members since 2017.
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The next five birth countries – Nigeria, Ghana, India, Haiti and Nepal – comprised a further 17% of military naturalizations.
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Spc. Chanda Devkota, a dental assistant at Landstuhl, is from one of those countries: Nepal. He is looking forward to being able to vote and continue serving.
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Spc. Odor Zeff is from Nigeria and sees becoming a US citizen as a way to continue helping as many people as possible.
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Spc. Nathalie Gustave, a Blackhawk mechanic, is from Haiti. He is looking forward to a career in military service.
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Spc. Joycelyn Nicolas is originally from the Philippines and has always dreamed of coming to the United States. She is passionate about giving back to the country that welcomed her. & # XD;
Our armed forces are stronger with this diversity among our ranks and our country benefits from this diversity among our citizens.
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Since 2002, the U.S. Citizenship and Naturalization Services have naturalized more than 148,000 members of the U.S. military, both at home and abroad, with ceremonies from here in Kaiserslautern to more than 30 countries around the world.
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