http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/9311899.htm?1cARLINGTON, Va. - For Hilbert Caesar, the path to citizenship was long and difficult - from Guyana to the streets of New York at age 11, then to joining the U.S. Army and losing his right leg to an explosive device in Iraq four months ago.
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Almost 3 percent of the United States' 1.4 million active-duty military force are non-citizens. Immigration officials said about 16,000 of those have applied for citizenship in the last two years, and about half have completed the process.
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Active-duty personnel seeking to become citizens go through an easier, faster process because of President Bush's executive order in 2002 and action by Congress.
Noncitizens on active duty can begin the citizenship process as soon as they join the military, instead of waiting three years. The entire process for a member of the military now takes a year or less vs. years for nonmilitary applicants.
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