On the 236th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Structure, Sailors assigned to Naval Medical Forces Atlantic share their experiences of going via the naturalization course of and mirror on the privilege of being an American citizen.
Personnel Specialist Seaman Recruit Viviana Huergogodoy, a Nieva-Huila, Columbia native, is a NMFL Sailor at the moment going via the naturalization course of to turn out to be a U.S. citizen. Her mom first introduced her household to the U.S. to review English when she was 16, and after receiving a residency inside 5 years, she determined to affix the army.
“I wished to affix the U.S. army as a result of it’s the greatest on this planet,” mentioned Huergogodoy, who’s a pay and personnel administrator for the command. “Plus, I’m grateful for the alternatives that the Navy has given me and hopeful to turn out to be a citizen.”
Others within the command have already accomplished the method and are absolutely naturalized residents. Over the past 5 years, a complete of over 5,500 Sailors turned naturalized residents via their service within the U.S. Navy and a complete of over 33,000 all through the Division of Protection have earned the privilege to turn out to be a citizen of the US of America.
Ever since he was younger, Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Samuel Jean-Louis was within the medical area. As a local of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, he knew that he wouldn’t have the identical instructional alternatives accessible to achieve his aspirations, so he joined the U.S. Navy in a job that has the most important, most professionally various and extremely adorned hospital enlisted corps to realize his desires.
“It’s been the most effective resolution I’ve made,” defined Jean-Louis, who’s the main petty officer for the directorate for administration at NMFL. “Now I simply wish to give again … not solely to be an excellent instance for my youngsters and my household, however to additionally give again to this nation and the Navy.”
To turn out to be a citizen via army service, the naturalization course of for these eligible can take anyplace from 18 to 24 months below particular provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Jordan Brown, a local of Kingston, Jamaica remembers the morning he turned a citizen after finishing his naturalization interview and the Oath of Allegiance and the sentiments that got here after when he may lastly name himself a U.S. citizen.
“I bought dressed and placed on my Sunday greatest,” reminisced Brown with a smile, an administration motion officer for the unit deployment cell at NMFL. “I walked into that workplace, and so they interviewed me. I took a take a look at, and I walked out of that workplace with a certificates. Then I went all the way down to the immigration workplace, and I left it as a citizen. I nonetheless have that certificates with me to this present day and I really feel a way of accomplishment each time I consider the place I’m now.”
To these going via the method, Jean-Louis shared phrases of knowledge.
“Don’t hand over,” he suggested. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. As soon as accomplished, the expertise and reward will probably be all definitely worth the effort. It is a nice nation and there are lots of alternatives!”
Structure Week, which is held Sept. 17-23, celebrates the enduring connection between Structure Day and Citizenship Day, paying tribute to the signing of the U.S. Structure on Sept. 17, 1787, and those that have embraced U.S. citizenship.
Naval Medical Forces Atlantic (NMFL), headquartered in Portsmouth, Virginia, delivers operationally targeted medical experience and capabilities to satisfy Fleet, Marine and Joint Drive necessities by offering gear, sustainment and upkeep of medical forces throughout fight operations and public well being crises.
Navy Drugs – represented by greater than 44,000 highly-trained army and civilian well being care professionals – offers enduring expeditionary medical help to the warfighter on, beneath, and above the ocean, and ashore.
