Is the Greencard enough for a NROTC scholarship?

[alanbrit]

Hi guys, basically I have two quick questions....

I was accepted to a bunch of UC's right after high school, but..due to financial issues I couldn't attend any UC..

Currently I am in community college ...majoring in Computer Engineering and doing pretty alright actually .....I have been thinking about NROTC (with USMC option) for a long time..in fact, I tried to do it right after high school, but the recruiter checked out my papers/immigration status at the time and told me that I had to have a alien # or something along those lines.....

Now, onto my question..I recently got my Green card (yay! :icon_tong) and I am still getting conflicting information regarding pre-reqs for NROTC....

Question: Is the green card enough to apply for a NROTC scholarship *when* I am transferring to a UC ? (I am planning on transferring to a UC in maybe a year or so). Also, I noticed how they give scholarships for 4yr/3yr/2yr periods.....since my major is "computer engineering", I heard that after transferring ..usually it takes another 2-3 years to finish up...would this be a problem?

Thats it for my main question....if you have time I always wondered this...(especially after attending Devil Pups over the summer a couple of years ago)

2nd Question: Why do a lot of non-officers in the USMC hate/dislike officers? My instructor at devil pups openly admitted how he never got along with officer's and how he doesn't like them.....so did a dozen others over the course of the program..which was pretty surprising and confusing to me...any clarification would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[HueyCobra8151]

You must be a citizen to become a commissioned officer.

http://officer.marines.com/page/Officer-FAQ.jsp?ref=1653#q_1

Edit: You must also be a citizen to enroll in NROTC

https://www.nrotc.navy.mil/eligibility.cfm

Edit Again: That information took me about 30 seconds all told to find. Did you honestly need to come onto a forum and ask other people to use google to find information for you?

 

[alanbrit]

You must be a citizen to become a commissioned officer.

http://officer.marines.com/page/Officer-FAQ.jsp?ref=1653#q_1

Edit: You must also be a citizen to enroll in NROTC

https://www.nrotc.navy.mil/eligibility.cfm

Edit Again: That information took me about 30 seconds all told to find. Did you honestly need to come onto a forum and ask other people to use google to find information for you?

That sucks...if its true at least...sure information may have taken 30 seconds....but when your recruiter tells you one thing and a website tells you another thing, I think its natural to be confused, don't you think? :icon_tong

I guess NROTC ain't gonna work for me now...too bad...I don't know If I have any more patience left.....sigh


**edit: for example from this site (I know its navy..but still, I found quite a few sites like this)...it says:

What if I am not a U.S. Citizen?
Only U.S. citizens or foreign nationals legally residing in the United States with an Immigration and Naturalization Service Alien Registration Card ("Green Card" -- INS Form I-151/551) may apply. Applicants must speak, write and read English fluently.

 

[xmid]

I believe thats true if you want to enlist...

 

[RHPF]

That can't be true. A guy I knew from AFROTC was from England. MAYBE he was a military brat, or he was born here, then grew up there and had dual-citizen ship... but I dont think so. It obviously makes complete sense that you should be a U.S. citizen though. Call a local NROTC unit and ask.

 

[Flash]

That can't be true. A guy I knew from AFROTC was from England. MAYBE he was a military brat, or he was born here, then grew up there and had dual-citizen ship... but I dont think so. It obviously makes complete sense that you should be a U.S. citizen though. Call a local NROTC unit and ask.

Please open the link and look:

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
• U.S. Citizenship

https://www.nrotc.navy.mil/eligibility.cfm

You cannot be a dual citizen either and be an officer. And you can't have a Top Secret clearance either, pretty sure about Secret too.

 

[Brett327]

That can't be true. A guy I knew from AFROTC was from England. MAYBE he was a military brat, or he was born here, then grew up there and had dual-citizen ship... but I dont think so. It obviously makes complete sense that you should be a U.S. citizen though. Call a local NROTC unit and ask.

You must be a citizen to receive a commission. Why would they accept people into a program (and give them lots of $$$) who lack one of the basic requirements?

Brett

 

[xmid]

He could have been an exchange cadet. The US takes a few midshipman/cadets from other countries as a way of keeping up relationships with that country. I had a Tunisian in my company at USNA. After they finish up being "educated" over here they return to their country and serve in their armed forces.

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

We have two mids here that were born in Asia and migrated here to the states. I think you should be alright.

 

[Sentinelj5]

I know of one former dual citizen in my commissioning class who had to dicth his Canadian citizenship after sophomore year in order to get a clearance for cruise. Trust me....the jokes have never ceased....that and the fact that he was dating a freshman in high school

 

[Flash]

He could have been an exchange cadet. The US takes a few midshipman/cadets from other countries as a way of keeping up relationships with that country. I had a Tunisian in my company at USNA. After they finish up being "educated" over here they return to their country and serve in their armed forces.

Usually that is just for the Academies. We were required to go to ROTC at my school and we had a lot of exchange students but they did not take ROTC.

 

[BigRed389]

I did College Program as a green carder, but they can't bump you up to scholarship OR advanced standing until you get your citizenship.

 

[statesman]

Immigration is made much easier if you have served in the military, enlisted of course, however if you look at the pathway to naturalization you have to show

• a period of continuous residence and physical presence in the United States;
• residence in a particular USCIS District prior to filing;
• an ability to read, write, and speak English;
• a knowledge and understanding of U.S. history and government;
• good moral character;
• attachment to the principles of the U.S. Constitution; and,
• favorable disposition toward the United States.

An intention to serve in the military through ROTC may help you get Naturalized faster.

 

[alanbrit]

I see, so I guess I have to wait yet *another* 5+ years till I could join USMC....kind a sucks....sigh

So from what you guys are saying, I can *enlist* but not go in as a commisioned officer right? Is it possible to enlist right after college (btw do they have programs for people in college who wants to enlist, aka ppl in my situation?) and after bootcamp + get my citizenship, get promoted or put on a pathway to becoming a officer? (only..alot faster)

What do you guys recommend me doing? Any advice? Basically, My goal is to be a Officer in the USMC, and hopefully get into a InfoSec/Computer field..(and of course the martial arts program and rugby!).

Any help is appreciated
Thanks!

 

[statesman]

Absolutely. The USCIS website mentioned that military service makes it much easier to get citizenship.

If you finish your degree and enlist in the Marine Corps, once you receive your citizenship you could go to OCS.