- Reaction score
- 7,829
- Points
- 1,360
...and if anyone wishes to respond to the abortion issue.....don't do it in this thread. forum.
Want to join the U.S. Military? That may become reality again .....
- Reaction score
- 4
- Points
- 430
CougarKing said:
Well first let me extend my sympathies to you ref trying to immigrate to the US. I can sympathize as I know of many degreed nurses, being married to one, who have returned to Canada, giving up in frustration with the US Immigration Services. This at a time when their employer US hospital is literally begging them to stay.
Also let me say that, yes, I got carried away in my general statement ref population growth. As you are well aware the US is facing a challenging problem with population growth whereas in Canada we are dependent on immigration for population growth.
But in my defence I am trying to isolate my discussion to those immigrants of professional qualification that are of great value to the economies of a country. Living in the Toronto area I see the tried old problem of foreign trained doctors and other professionals delivering pizza etc.
So my point is both the US and Canada must concentrate on attracting, and retaining, foreign professionals. The US is not admitting as many professionals as it has in the past decades and manypay a price in R&D for this . Canada is competing on a world stage for these highly trained immigrants while both the Indian and Chinese economies are picking up. In Toronto we have a new phenomena occurring. Foreign professionals who immigrated to Canada are leaving their families here and finding employment in other countries such as Bahrain and Dubai. Some are just returning to India/China as well as their Canadian educated children.
To tie back to the thread on foreigners in the military, if we can attract quality immigrants to our military all the better for Canada.
- Reaction score
- 7,829
- Points
- 1,360
...and its been removed. On sober second thought there are lots of other forums for that discussion, not this militarily themed one.
Not your fault, my initial post wasn't clear enough.
Not your fault, my initial post wasn't clear enough.
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 360
S_Baker said:
S Baker,
When you said "mercenaries", you were implying that the real French Foreign Legion are mercenaries when they are in fact very professional and one of the world's most respected military units, even if they take in non-French citizens without going through the normal French immigration process. Thus, the same goes for the idea of a US Foreign Legion- they won't be "mercenaries" if it was ever created, they will be soldiers as their US citizen brethren in other regular US units.
I pointed out this other link about a possible US Foreign Legion because it still deals with the idea of recruiting Non-greencard holder/non-resident foreigners into the US military.
Here's the US Foreign Legion thread again:
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/28732.0.html
Just because this new thread deals with inducting non-resident foreigners individually doesn't make it a totally seperate issue. Well anyways, whether it's inducting them individually or in seperate Legionnare units, it makes no difference for me as long as fight for Old Glory/the Red, White and Blue.
CougarKing
As I am new to this forum let me post that I am a USMC veteran, now a middle aged man who worked as a contractor in Iraq in the past two out of three years. The discussion you all put forth is great, nice to see intelligent discussion of this subject (wouldn't count on that within that white building where our congress congregates anytime soon).
My Grandfather joined the US Army in WW2 from Malta and served, whereupon he was granted citizenship some time after the conclusion of hostilities (I don't have all the details). As America has historically been home to people from all over the world there is no reason whatsoever for not allowing qualified foreigners to enter and serve within the US military. Certainly the ability to vet and investigate any person already exists so that is not a reason to hesitate. Further, as the comment about people in the malls at Christmas time is accurate, it doesn't reflect the fact that all during the 90's the US military discarded many serving personnel for a variety of reasons, including paying incentives for early retirements and outright departures (this was the peace dividend from the end of the cold war). After September 11th, 2001 in the dark days that followed the US government, orated through our President, told people that the best contribution they could make for their country in this troubled time was to go out, shop, live as normally as possible and spend money (spur the economy). Nobody mentioned a need for more robust armed forces (in fact the Secretary of Defense was continuing to eye cuts and make them happen).
So now the US is suffering from lack of direction in reshaping the military following the end of the cold war and Desert Storm. This isn't new, this has happened many times in the US, but today's citizen is not as dedicated to service (on the average) as they were. Certainly the lack of draft puts less pressure on young people to serve and to be honest most who can choose college tend to enter it, rather then enter armed service (obviously not in all cases, but in general that is much more prevalent). Young people from less economically capable families tend to enter service, strictly a market driven principle. However there are many other opportunities generally available to young people now then 30-70 years ago, more lucrative, etc... and the incentives of being a good citizen do not seem to appeal as much to those at the age to enter service (17-24).
In my time in Iraq I found many US Soldiers well over 45 years old, Reservists, Guardsman, etc... So the overall loss of a flood of people to serve isn't such a surprise when looking at so many of the issues. It is sad, that in a time of building crisis, our young people do not want to flock to service, but after all there are many of us that have built the US to what it is today. And when few children of our "ruling class" are serving, the effects are felt much less deeply by those with the most influence to effect changes.
I welcome the idea of foreign nationals serving in the US armed forces in much greater number, though I do not believe in the creation of a "Foreign Legion" for the US. Integration has always tended to be more the norm for us (if we don't look too far back anyway) and would serve us better now, I think. Toughening the qualifications for particular service components or specialties may be necessary, but I do think that we can find ways to manage that whole concept without undue strain to the system. It is a sad commentary that the US would find less then adequate support from it's citizenry, but it is now a much more global world, and changes are always inevitable.
The irony for me is I was looking at potentially serving in the Canadian Armed Forces as a potential route to immigration up north (personal reasons) however I may have to drop some pounds and go see my local recruiter now. Thank you all for having this forum, it is a breath of fresh air on the internet.
Semper Fi,
Sean (SLUFEOD Short Little Ugly Fella Explosive Ordnance Disposal)
My Grandfather joined the US Army in WW2 from Malta and served, whereupon he was granted citizenship some time after the conclusion of hostilities (I don't have all the details). As America has historically been home to people from all over the world there is no reason whatsoever for not allowing qualified foreigners to enter and serve within the US military. Certainly the ability to vet and investigate any person already exists so that is not a reason to hesitate. Further, as the comment about people in the malls at Christmas time is accurate, it doesn't reflect the fact that all during the 90's the US military discarded many serving personnel for a variety of reasons, including paying incentives for early retirements and outright departures (this was the peace dividend from the end of the cold war). After September 11th, 2001 in the dark days that followed the US government, orated through our President, told people that the best contribution they could make for their country in this troubled time was to go out, shop, live as normally as possible and spend money (spur the economy). Nobody mentioned a need for more robust armed forces (in fact the Secretary of Defense was continuing to eye cuts and make them happen).
So now the US is suffering from lack of direction in reshaping the military following the end of the cold war and Desert Storm. This isn't new, this has happened many times in the US, but today's citizen is not as dedicated to service (on the average) as they were. Certainly the lack of draft puts less pressure on young people to serve and to be honest most who can choose college tend to enter it, rather then enter armed service (obviously not in all cases, but in general that is much more prevalent). Young people from less economically capable families tend to enter service, strictly a market driven principle. However there are many other opportunities generally available to young people now then 30-70 years ago, more lucrative, etc... and the incentives of being a good citizen do not seem to appeal as much to those at the age to enter service (17-24).
In my time in Iraq I found many US Soldiers well over 45 years old, Reservists, Guardsman, etc... So the overall loss of a flood of people to serve isn't such a surprise when looking at so many of the issues. It is sad, that in a time of building crisis, our young people do not want to flock to service, but after all there are many of us that have built the US to what it is today. And when few children of our "ruling class" are serving, the effects are felt much less deeply by those with the most influence to effect changes.
I welcome the idea of foreign nationals serving in the US armed forces in much greater number, though I do not believe in the creation of a "Foreign Legion" for the US. Integration has always tended to be more the norm for us (if we don't look too far back anyway) and would serve us better now, I think. Toughening the qualifications for particular service components or specialties may be necessary, but I do think that we can find ways to manage that whole concept without undue strain to the system. It is a sad commentary that the US would find less then adequate support from it's citizenry, but it is now a much more global world, and changes are always inevitable.
The irony for me is I was looking at potentially serving in the Canadian Armed Forces as a potential route to immigration up north (personal reasons) however I may have to drop some pounds and go see my local recruiter now. Thank you all for having this forum, it is a breath of fresh air on the internet.
Semper Fi,
Sean (SLUFEOD Short Little Ugly Fella Explosive Ordnance Disposal)
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 230
"SEMPER FI -Sean (SLUFEOD Short Little Ugly Fella Explosive Ordnance Disposal)"
Gunny Sean, there can only be one Gunny SLUF, gee's it's been a while. Thanks now my nightmares will return.
Imagine you turning up on Army.ca. PM (private message me ) and I will let you know who this is.
"CHIMO", AIRBORNE....
You should have narrowed it down to two by now....
Old fart out...
PS. You may have inserted Fella, into SLUF, but to us it's F_ck.
Gunny Sean, there can only be one Gunny SLUF, gee's it's been a while. Thanks now my nightmares will return.
Imagine you turning up on Army.ca. PM (private message me ) and I will let you know who this is.
"CHIMO", AIRBORNE....
You should have narrowed it down to two by now....
Old fart out...
PS. You may have inserted Fella, into SLUF, but to us it's F_ck.
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