June 5, 2009, Sasebo – Forty active duty military personnel and dependents became U.S. citizens at a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Naturalization Ceremony onboard the USS Essex, an amphibious assault ship forward deployed at the U.S. Navy Base in Sasebo. The new citizens hail from 17 different nations, including Belize, Canada, China, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Jamaica, Korea, Liberia, Mexico, Nepal, Nicaragua, the Philippines and Russia.

Before an audience of 200 friends and family, USS Essex Commanding Officer, Captain Brent Canaday, gave an opening speech on the importance of citizenship. U.S. Embassy Seoul DHS Attaché, Ken Sherman, then administered the formal oath of allegiance. After the ceremony, U.S. Consulate Fukuoka’s Consular Officer Mark Baron and consular staff accepted passport applications from 22 of the new U.S. citizens.

There are approximately 30,000 foreign nationals serving in the U.S. military. Non-citizen military service members who apply for citizenship must be able to demonstrate good moral character, have no criminal record, speak English, demonstrate knowledge of U.S. government and history, and take the oath of allegiance to the U.S. constitution before they are eligible for naturalization.