20 Poles have already paid ultimate price for US citizenship

Poles living in America are being offered a fast-track to full US citizenship if they sign up for the army. As many as twenty Poles have died already fighting in a US uniform in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“Virtually every day in Kabul, when American planes land with soldiers, I meet Poles amongst them,” a Polish officer who has served in Afghanistan for half a year told the Gazeta Wyborcza daily.

Some ethnic minorities are underrepresented in the US army and a recruitment campaign, centred around the goarmy.com web site, has been trying to atrract more from various comnunities.

According to research, the recruitment drive has chiefly garnered Poles and Latin Americans.

The campaign is aimed at foreign citizens who have green cards but are keen to secure full US citizenship.

“Thanks to the army I get citizenship right away,” someone only named as Jacek T., a young Pole living in a town south of New York, told Gazeta Wyborcza.

“After finishing a fourteen-week course, I'll have 1400 dollars a month, thirty days paid holiday and insurance,” he enthuses.

“You can also get a scholarship. Then I'd go to college,” he adds.

Elizabeth Robbins from the Pentagon's press office was unforthcoming when asked for more information.

“No one is keeping track of such statistics,” she said.

Rafal Stachowski, who hails from the Warsaw district of Praga, claims that 500 Poles have already taken advantage of the campaign, later serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Statistics for Hespanics are available, however. In 2007, Hispanics made up 17 percent of the general population ages 18 to 40, but only 11.4 percent of Army recruits and 15 percent of Navy recruits. Overall, only 13.5 percent of the force is Hispanic, according to the Pentagon’s most recent statistics.

Land of dreams

But are Poles and others not frightened that the cost of US citizenship could be high? 

“I don't want to think about it in advance,”says Jacek. T, who is preparing for deployment.

“America is a land of dreams, and the army allows you to fulfil them.”

Meanwhile, it was reported yesterday that a group of soldiers serving in the official Polish army in Afghanistan had been wounded in a clash with rebels. The Poles are said to be in a stable condition. (nh/pg)