Interesting info about non US citizens in the US military

This is from Michael Yon's blog

New Americans: At War in Mosul
[Photo credit: Deuce Four; after ceremony in Baghdad]


Deuce Four's newest Americans:

Front row Left to Right
SPC Saroth Muth (Cambodia)
SPC David Floutier (England)
SPC Hugo Juarez (Mexico)
SPC Evans Martin (Antigua)
SPC Octavio Rodriguez (Mexico)

Back row Left to Right
SGT Ringsey Khin (Cambodia)
SPC Abdel Phipps (Jamaica)
SGT Collin Campbell (Trinidad)
SPC Bosco Jerez (Nicaragua)
SPC Jose Alvarado (Honduras)
SPC Moises Medina (Mexico)

SGT Walter Gaya, from Argentina, was scheduled to be sworn in with this group, but he was recently wounded in combat and could not attend the ceremony. He's in the United States recovering and remains committed to becoming a photo-journalist. Walt told me the other day that although his left eye is in question, his photo-shooting eye is perfect.

At Deuce Four here in Mosul, we still have 15 troops whose new citizen status is pending paperwork. These troops are from:

Argentina
Cambodia
Canada
Haiti
Jamaica
Korea
Mexico
Nicaragua
Russia
St Croix
Vietnam
And two others; I don't know where they are from.

Welcome Aboard!
michaelyon.blogspot.com...

I didn't know it was this many countries. Truely impressive.

Cool, if that's true... very many countries...

Originally posted by jetsetter
I didn't know it was this many countries. Truely impressive.

i heard the money is good, USD5,000++ initial take home pay, 2 years later 6K++

I don't mind to work for US Army/Navy

Originally posted by betaiso

i heard the money is good, USD5,000++ initial take home pay, 2 years later 6K++

I don't mind to work for US Army/Navy

No, much less. As an E5 in a combat zone, I barely broke $4000, but that is only because of tax free status. Take home in the states would be around $2500-$2800.

Nobody joins the military for the pay.


BTW, notice the worldwide diversity of nationalities. THAT'S what an American really is.

Originally posted by Army
Nobody joins the military for the pay.

Uhm, OK. Do you know if they receive a green card or visas in the US? Maybe thats the goody.

Originally posted by betaiso

Originally posted by jetsetter
I didn't know it was this many countries. Truely impressive.

>>
i heard the money is good, USD5,000++ initial take home pay, 2 years later 6K++
>>

Actually, if true, this is very bad. Because even the lowest E1 monkey straight out of Infantry school is going to be making 1,235 dollars per month.

Rome tried this and found that the use of mercenary levvies destroyed the integrity of the army and eventually put so many 'barbarians over the river' (where they were treated like outsiders and exploited by everyone until they went truly wild) as to eventually bring the downfall of the State.

I'm not saying that this is altogether likely to happen here but the fact remains that you are looking at a lack of commitment by this country to a draft-for-war increase in civic responsibilities which suggests that maybe it isn't quite as 'important' as we like to kid ourselves.

I also would worry, greatly, about the political reliability of such troops in theaters such as The Mogue or other places where they are either perceived to have a potential to 'go native' or are treated with particular viciousness by other ethnic-X, religion-Y etc. indigs who find them to be traitors to the home team.


KPl.

And thus gave birth to King Arthur (Arcturius) nad his Knights(Sermatian)..

i heard the money is good, USD5,000++ initial take home pay, 2 years later 6K++

FY 2005 Enlisted Pay Chart

Raises go at your 2 year mark, 3, 4 and then every 2 years after that.

Most people in the military make thier money in other ways in addition to basic pay. Special Duty pay, Tax free zones, Combat Pay, Hazardous duty pay, COLA (cost of living allowance), etc..etc...

It's all about what you make of it and the oppurtunities you go after.