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Canadians serving with the USMC

Re: US Marines looking for a few good men?
« Reply #51 on: Today at 11:08:40 » 

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I am planning on writing my senator and asking about CDN citizens being allowed to serve in the US Military.  However, I can see a problem, one of the deserters had "dual" US citizenship......could that happen again if CDN citizens were allowed to join?

I would like to expand the thread.....please no American foreign policy this or I hate bush, etc, there are already plenty of threads for that.  just give me some good ideas I could include in my letter. 


Good on you Baker, this will turn out to be interesting =p At least somebody is getting the ball rolling  :P
 
I think if you present your self as a Canadian trained military member and let them know your going to the states to get involved in their armed forces.That you may be fast tracked through i mean they are looking to recruit Americans why not allready trained Canadians.
  I don't think your going to take your rank with you or boost your rank in the move and you will likely start at the bottom.It wont be long before your in Iraq . You can work with a green card and maybe even without. Weren't there marines given their citizenship after many years of waiting once they returned from the combat phase in Iraq . I would think that fact that they have a guy allready trained that they don't have to pay to train, thats willing to go in their army or what ever branch, that they would be all over you like a dirty shirt have you tried to make your wishes known it seems that you dont even have to be a citizen to serve in the american forces.
 
Im not all hot and bothered wanting to join the marines, i just thought the idea was interesting.You do have to be an american citizen to join, or have a green card as of right now.I highly doubt they would let you keep your rank as their rank structure and training is different from ours.You would probobly start at the bottom, or maybe an advanced program if you already have military experience but I doubt it.They may also hand out signing bonuses to anyone from the CF, and more money based on experience.Thats what they did in vietnam im pretty sure, my cousin did that in the 60s and still lives in the states. He was given citizenship upon returning to america.

I bet if enough canadians went down trying to get into the marines, the marine recruiters would bring it up with somebody that their neighbors to the north are interested in taking part in their armed forces.Starting with Bakes and his letter to the senator =p.

Bakes, you should copy it many times, send it to your senator, your local representative, the local marine recruiting stations, donald rumsfeld and president bush.
And send one to Mr.T for fun..... he's making a comeback, he'll have celebrity power =p

Maybe you should send one to britney spears, according to an entertainment tonight show, shes the most powerful celebrity in america  ::)

anyways, good luck either way  :)
 
If you were former service canadian an went to the US, you'd have to start all over again, there training, ranks, etc is different than ours. If you had jump wings, you can wear them on your uniform, but in order to go in a airborne unit(an be on jump status) in the US Army, you'd have to take the US Army Basic Airborne Course.
 
Actually Sherwood, I went through Basic in 70 with a Canadian who had done a stint in Nam with the Marines. He spent just about the whole course as class senior and they promoted him Cpl on grad parade. But that's the exception, not the rule. And it was just a little while ago. ;)
 
And now that you mention it. It should be 1970 for the Regs and 68 for the Reserve. Lost a year there somewhere. ::)
 
S_Baker said:
I am not a military recruiter, but I do know that if one has some college (I am not sure how many credits) you will start basic training as a PFC (E-3), and there are some that start as a SPC (E-4). As for CDNs keeping their "rank" unlikely, would the same courtesy be afforded Americans wanting to join the CF?

What about troops with previous military experience in canada? would they be given the chance to start as  PFC or SPC?
 
S_Baker said:
I am not a military recruiter, but I do know that if one has some college (I am not sure how many credits) you will start basic training as a PFC (E-3), and there are some that start as a SPC (E-4).   As for CDNs keeping their "rank"   unlikely, would the same courtesy be afforded Americans wanting to join the CF?

We afford alot of latitude to british soldiers coming over to the CF ( at CFSME we had a brit come in as a warrant officer straight from england) so why would we not have consideration for US pers ?
 
Hmmm...

Army's Troop Sources Depleted
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
January 16, 2005

The Army may not be scraping the bottom of the manpower barrel yet, but critics say the service is coming dangerously close.

Defense analysts and veterans advocates say the Army's renewed efforts to encourage retired soldiers to return to active duty is an indication it is being stretched thin and worn out.

"The Army basically has run out of options," said Loren Thompson, a defense analyst with the Lexington Institute, a Washington think tank.

Steve Robinson, executive director of the National Gulf War Resource Center, a veterans advocacy group in Washington, said the Army is now dipping into its last pool of resources.

"The only thing they have left is the draft," said Robinson, a former Army Ranger.

But Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty, a Pentagon spokesman, said the recruitment of retirees "is a prudent use of America's resources."

Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 12,000 retired soldiers have volunteered to return to active duty, he said.

"But we have to match their desires, skills, experience, physical condition and time out of service with our requirements, so currently only about 300 are on active duty," Hilferty said.

This is the latest of three efforts by the Army to keep its ranks filled as commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan have kept many soldiers running from deployment to deployment.

The initial plan to stop the manpower drain was the stop-loss policy, whereby the Army can keep soldiers in uniform beyond the expiration of their active-duty contract.

As of Jan. 1, more than 12,000 soldiers were under stop-loss orders, including 6,657 on active duty, Hilferty said.

Last year the Pentagon began recalling Individual Ready Reserve soldiers. They are soldiers who have fulfilled their active-duty contract but remain eligible for recall for up to eight years after enlistment. Just under 4,000 Ready Reserves received mobilization orders.

The Army is also offering large bonuses to soldiers who re-enlist overseas, tripling bonuses for new enlistees and keeping troops in Iraq 15 months instead of the usual 12.

But the war effort in Iraq is slowly wearing down the Army, Thompson said.

"Most of the indicators point to the conclusion that the Army can't sustain its current level of activity in Iraq," he said.

Thompson said he believed the Jan. 30 elections in Iraq would play a critical role in how the Army approaches its manpower shortage in the short term.

If the elections are reasonably successful, he believes the administration will likely redouble its commitment to making the strategy in Iraq work. That could mean an increase in active-duty troop strength from just under 500,000 now to over 600,000.

If the elections go badly, the administration will have to make a fundamental reassessment of what is achievable in Iraq, he said.

http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,FL_army_011605,00.html



 
I think that it would be a good idea for the US to allow Canadian's to join the military. I mean, if their allowing a load of illegal immigrants amnesty, then why not allow Canadian's who would like to fight in the US army the chance to legally. I would even consider moving down to the states, as would many other Canadian's.
 
Im still trying to find some reasons why the american govt would NOT consider doing it , and why they havnt done so already.
 
S_Baker, I look foreward to reading this letter. I havent much to add, solely due to my lack of knowledge on the issue. But if it helps, I would go in a heartbeat and I know alot of friends both civi and fellow soldiers who would follow. From a personal standpoint, America is our greatest allied force in this world, and to watch time and time again the soldiers in Iraq, brings me to feel guilty for lack of a better word. Bring some of those guys with extended tours home and send me in their place, in hopes of distributing the weight a bit more. Lord knows I want to...regulations simply dont allow me. If the united States offered positions within their Armed Forces to Canadian Citizens green card or not, That would be what it would take. I know the U.S. would gain alot of good soldiers from such an action.

Afterall, we're all fighting for the same things arent we? Its just that some of us are more capable of it than others...
 
Infanteer said:
I've seen numerous stories of Natives giving up on the CF and going down to the US Forces - many of them served honourably in Iraq.  I think they are able to do so without a Greencard due to the Jay Treaty.

I don't think it was the Jay Treaty:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay's_Treaty

EDIT: Turns out there might be more to the Jay Treaty than it says on wikipedia. I just received a letter from a US Army recruiter concerning this exact topic (of Canadian Indians). In summary it say's:

Native Americans born in Canada are eligible citizenship-wise, to apply for enlistment into the US Army as long as they possess a Tribal Card (not expired) or letter from tribal council for Native-American born in Canada under the Jay and Ghent Treaties. They must have established a residence here in the United States.

I suppose a Tribal card down in the states would be similar to a Metis card.
 
Why are all you guys so eager to join the US military? Where's our loyalty to your country? Why did you join the CF in the first place?

As a soldier, you should be VERY concerned about your country's foreign policy since it directly affects you. I don't want to bash the US, but if you join thier army, you will almost certainly be thrown into a combat situation. Is that what you guys are so eager about? To go to war with the best of the best? How can you be part of the best if you don't believe in what you're fighting for?

Now Canada may not carry the military might of the Americans ($10billion vs $400billion in annual funding), but I believe in what Canada is fighting for: peace and humanitarian aid. I would rather save people from the genocide in Darfur with 100 CF soldiers rather than go to Iraq with 1,000 marines. The belief in your cause is much more important than what/who you're fighting with.
 
We live in a free country where people can choose for themselves. It's a person's choice to go and fight for what THEY determine is a righteous cause. Canadians have a long history, preceding the US Civil War, of going south and fighting for what they believe in.
 
Who was to say that i didnt believe in what the U.S. is fighting for? As far as fighting for Americas foreign policies, I would follow my leadership under the American Policies, just as easy as my own. Im very proud of my Country, but Im a strong believer that I can serve my country fighting for one of her allies, just as well as my Country itself. Nonetheless, hasnt this topic been beaten to death elsewhere in the forum?

I joined the Armed Forces to be a Soldier, which whether you like it or not, may entail combat. I want to do my job to the fullest, no matter what task handed down to me be it handing out aid and supplies in Indonesia, or patrolling in Iraq.
 
I was just interested in the thing about Natives being able to do that. I had never heard about it before and was just looking it up as a point of interest.
 
Bo said:
....As a soldier, you should be VERY concerned about your country's foreign policy since it directly affects you.....Is that what you guys are so eager about?....How can you be part of the best if you don't believe in what you're fighting for?

Now Canada may not carry the military might of the Americans ($10billion vs $400billion in annual funding), but I believe in what Canada is fighting for: peace and humanitarian aid. I would rather save people from the genocide in Darfur with 100 CF soldiers rather than go to Iraq with 1,000 marines. The belief in your cause is much more important than what/who you're fighting with.

This illustrates something that has always irked me. Since when do we as soldiers get to opt out of wars we don't believe in? I'm not talking about serious religious or moral objections here, but politics. Should soldiers understand their nations Foreign policy? I suppose, but it's not a requirement. Understanding Foreign Policy doesn't take away from the fact that we are the means of enforcement of our nations foreign policy, that we have civilian masters, and above all else we do what were ordered to do! 'You don't agree with the war Bloggins? Too bad, so sad, ruck up.'

You believe in Canada's fight for Peace and Humanitarian Aid? Where are you talking about? You mentioned Darfur...is there news I should know? Did our government and the UN get off their asses in the last 5 minutes? Last time I checked, the only fight in Darfur is the one between the belligerents.

Make no mistake about it - a soldiers job is not to peace keep, it's not to hand out bon bons to local kids, it's not to distribute aid to refugees, it is to kill the enemy (or assist those that do).

You believe in peace and humanitarian aid. I believe in professionalism, aggression, and tactical superiority. You can keep your humanitarian aid and fuzzy feelings.
 
exactly.

The job of a soldier is to enforce their nations interests by means of use of force, or threat of.Thats it.
We are not politicians.

Enforce the interest of the nation.If its in the interest of Canada to go to war and destroy a whole crapload of people for oil, and the government decides this is something that will benefit Canada, then this is what we do.We are tools of the man, nothing more.
 
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