Gacad and Manaog swore the naturalization oath of allegiance with the assistance of greater than 16 U.S. Navy Choose Advocates, Legalmen, and civilian paralegals, unfold all through three international locations and at sea, and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Companies (USCIS) Washington Discipline Workplace.
“I’m proud and honored to be part of this historic occasion,” mentioned Manaog, who’s assigned to Airborne Command and Management Squadron (VAW) 126. “Our names might be within the historical past books.”
Gacad, who’s assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 211, additionally expressed his enjoyment of reaching this milestone on his journey to citizenship.
“I’m very completely satisfied after this lengthy course of,” mentioned Gacad. “I can lastly say I’m proud to be an American.”
Gacad began the method of changing into a citizen in March 2021. Nevertheless, he needed to postpone his naturalization as a result of scheduled deployment.
“USCIS reached out to the Navy to see if there was something we might do maintain a naturalization ceremony whereas deployed and that obtained us asking the query, ‘Can it occur?’ ” mentioned Lt. Cmdr. Kyle Doherty-Peters, Truman’s command choose advocate. “The largest challenges are that the a naturalization oath ceremony have to be performed dwell with approved USCIS personnel and that Certificates of Naturalization have to be bodily aboard the ship in time for the ceremony and marked with the right data. We knew digital abroad ceremonies happen on land with help of Area Authorized Service Workplaces, so we began working by means of our logistical and technical challenges to make the ceremony occur whereas deployed at sea.”
After months of planning and meticulous preparation, Gacad and Manaog’s journey to citizenship was lastly realized aboard the Truman. In early September, their Certificates of Naturalization had been picked up from the USCIS Washington Discipline Workplace by a Washington, D.C. primarily based Choose Advocate who flew onto the ship and hand delivered the paperwork as Truman operated underway within the Atlantic Ocean. On the day of the ceremony, two USCIS personnel traveled to the Pentagon to connect with the Truman for a digital teleconference.
Through the digital ceremony, the keynote speaker, Rear Adm. Paul Spedero Jr., commander, Provider Strike Group (CSG) 8, spoke in regards to the path the Sailors traveled to grow to be Americans.
“Most of us right here immediately had been born People,” mentioned Spedero. “Our citizenship was a present that we got. However your citizenship is earned. You’ve earned the precise to be referred to as People by means of your service to this nation. You’ve confirmed that you’re People by means of these many months deployed with all of us doing this nation’s work in protection of American beliefs overseas.”
After the ceremony, Gacad and Manaog expressed their gratitude for all the assistance they acquired.
“The Navy is a workforce,” mentioned Gacad. “You’ll by no means really feel like you might be alone as a result of there may be at all times somebody there that can assist you whenever you want it. With out the authorized workforce, I wouldn’t be on this place, and I want to say thanks for all their laborious work.”
This occasion additionally marks the primary time a naturalization ceremony was held on a deployed plane provider.
“That Petty Officer Gacad and Petty Officer Manaog will be capable of stroll off the ship on U.S. soil as U.S. residents once we return house is phenomenal,” mentioned Capt. Gavin Duff, Truman’s commanding officer. “In 2022, that now we have the aptitude to conduct this ceremony just about and supply this chance for them is humbling to say the least. It was a group effort to assist these spectacular Sailors understand their dream and grow to be residents of the nation they’ve served so proudly. We sit up for their success and accomplishments of their future as People.”
Truman is the flagship of the Harry S. Truman Provider Strike Group (HSTCSG); further components embrace the 9 squadrons of Provider Air Wing (CVW) 1, commanded by Capt. Patrick Hourigan; the employees and guided-missile destroyers of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 28 commanded by Capt. Blair Man; and the Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS San Jacinto (CG 56), commanded by Capt. Christopher Marvin.
The Harry S. Truman Provider Strike Group is at the moment working within the Atlantic Ocean in help of naval operations to take care of maritime stability and safety as a way to guarantee entry, deter aggression and defend U.S., allied and associate curiosity.
For extra information from U.S. 2nd Fleet, go to https://www.c2f.navy.mil/ and for extra data go to http://www.fb.com/US2ndFleet/ or http://twitter.com/US2ndFleet.
For extra information from Truman, go to www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/cvn75/, ww.fb.com/cvn75, www.twitter.com/ussharrystruman, or http://instagram.com/uss_harrys.truman
