The United States military welcomes recruits from foreign countries to serve in the armed forces, with one of the benefits being the recruit may apply for U.S. citizenship. One Marine who took advantage of the opportunity to become a U.S. citizen is Lance Corporal Jose Avila from Honduras. At 28 years, Lance Corporal Avila, was a little older than most recruits who enlist in the Marine Corps. After graduating from college in Honduras with a degree in business administration, Avila moved to New York in 2009 to be with his family. Shortly after, he enlisted in the Marine Corps. Managing editor Tami Roleff talked with Avila, who is deployed to Afghanistan with Regimental Combat Team-7, last week about becoming an American citizen…
Lance Corporal Jose Avila was stationed in Yuma, Arizona, in 2010 when his sergeant asked him if he’d like to apply for U.S. citizenship. After completing the paperwork and undergoing a background check, the Immigration and Naturalization Service called him three months later, in January 2011, for an interview and test. “He told me you passed.” He passed with flying colors and was offered the opportunity to become a U.S. citizen the next day. ” They told me you have the opportunity, you can go tomorrow, so I said yeah, no problem. It was exciting.” Avila is proud to be a Marine defending his country. “At the beginning I was a U.S. Marine and then I became a U.S. citizen. I’m having a good experience. I know I’m doing good things for this country. I am fighting for something that I believe.” Congratulations to Lance Corporal Jose Avila. Americans are lucky to have a citizen like you defending our country.
DEPLOYED TWENTYNINE PALMS MARINE FROM HONDURAS BECOMES CITIZEN
