American Army Citizenship Rule Is An Absolute Joke

Iowa800 wrote:

Maybe there should be an LRC FAQ for the WCAP to point the ignorant or racist to when they say WCAP guys don't do basic training, have required duties, deploy, see combat, or have further commitments after their running is over.

I'm prior service many many years ago - and it's my understanding that WCAP members have to have a valid MOS, work their day job and run their balls off to join WCAP. So I'm supportive of anyone who joins the military to get citizenship because those are the type of people I want to work with because it's not as if they're chillin' for 4 years and just running. They're being taken care of in the service but not pampered like a fancy poodle.

I guess it comes down to "being an American" vs "wanting to live in America." I'd like to think that those who did their military service will raise a good solid family and be good citizens.

example 1-

My friends dad was Czechoslovakian, tried but couldn't get into the US in the '50's because of quotas so he became a citizen by joining the US Army flying rotor-wings and was shot down/ KIA during his 2nd tour in SE Asia. He, and the runners in this discussion, was/ are as much a US citizen as native-born me.

example 2-

My buddy and training partner was a 2x Trials qualifier- the first time while still in college and the second as a member of WCAP. He only went the first time as he was deployed in Afghanistan and dodging bullets and not allowed to compete (even if allowed, time for training was not a priority to the command). WCAP is not a free ticket to train at taxpayer expense.

Brit Abroad wrote:

Again, to reiterate the point, they are signing up purely for the sake of making teams, and if that comes with the risk of doing a few years in the army where they'd be getting paid generously, then so be it... But their alternative is to go back to Kenya, never compete abroad again and earn 1,000 Kenyan Shillings a week, worthwhile risk I'd say.

So what? Is that your problem? No. Are you jealous of them because you don't have that kind of talent? Most likely.

Are you going to change that policy? No.

Get it over with. Your opinion is irrelevant since it won't change a thing and it doesn't even affect you.

Sabc szabo wrote:

More love for Sam kendricks, who kicks ass and actually does military work off season.

Uh, I like Kendricks too, but the athletes in question do exactly the same amount of "real" army stuff as him. They all have to do weekend trainings plus a 2 week training annually.

doctorj wrote:

Brit Abroad wrote:

Again, to reiterate the point, they are signing up purely for the sake of making teams, and if that comes with the risk of doing a few years in the army where they'd be getting paid generously, then so be it... But their alternative is to go back to Kenya, never compete abroad again and earn 1,000 Kenyan Shillings a week, worthwhile risk I'd say.

So what? Is that your problem? No. Are you jealous of them because you don't have that kind of talent? Most likely.

Are you going to change that policy? No.

Get it over with. Your opinion is irrelevant since it won't change a thing and it doesn't even affect you.

I don't understand your point? Are all of these threads created because tweets by Matt Centrowitz affect them? Because some guy running across America in 2 weeks affects them? No, because they are topics of conversation to which people can share their opinions. That, unless I'm mistaken is what this message board is for. I've offered my opinion to your system, which doesn't affect me in any way, and it's sparked a debate into a matter which I think a lot of people are interested in.

But thanks for sharing that you think my opinion is irrelevant. I'm glad you feel that your opinion about my opinion on the matter is so worthwhile to these boards.

Lorper wrote:

What's an American to you?

Brit?

Isn't what the OP thinks is happening exactly what used to be a pretty standard path for Kenyan runners--join the Kenyan Army to train and compete internationally?

Lorper wrote:

Lorper wrote:

What's an American to you?

Brit?

I would consider an American to be someone who was born or raised (for a significant portion of their life) in America; or someone who was born to American parents.

If someone moved to America and started working as a policeman, or a teacher, or a fireman or whatever - someone who serves your country but not specifically in the army - they wouldn't be able to compete for America. Is that fair? They're still serving your country, but because they don't have a piece of paper saying they're American citizens they aren't American...

It's a loophole in the system, which is being exploited to the detriment of American athletes.

If I moved to Australia (very common for British people) and gained citizenship after 4 years or so, there is still no way I'd ever refer to myself as Australian, nor would I expect genuine Australian people to consider me an Australian.

Don't get how so many of you can't determine the difference between an American, and an immigrant who, albeit may offer a great deal to your country, is simply not American.

Then we just don't agree about what makes someone an "American", "Brit", etc. I don't see how one could argue that Farah is a Brit but Lagat isn't an American, just because Farah moved at an earlier age?

I'd want the immigrant who has lived here and whose profession is a police officer or teacher to get citizenship quickly as well.

Lagat is an American but I still take issue with his competing for the US. You should have a one-time chance to pick your Olympic nation. His is Kenya.

Got no problem with him being here, being a citizen etc.

Lomong is different (for example). He arrived here as a youth and did not compete for anyone else.

Same with Farah.

That's why, presumably, you're a Brit and we are Americans. We live in a country of immigrants and believe being American transcends where you were born or raised or who your parents are. We believe in American values and the majority of us believe the WCAP runners embody those values. I'm proud to call Chelimo a fellow American and look forward to watching him represent American in London.

In all of your posts you've showed repeatedly that you don't understand how WCAP works or what it means to be American. Why don't you come back once you do. Goodbye.

This Brit abroad, d-bag isn't british. He's an ignorat redneck. Why in the world would a brit care about WCAP?! Exactly.

You're very ignorant. Immigrants make up about 6% of the US military. Many are Kenyan. I've worked with some of them. Many of Kenyans who didn't run in college. There are a lot more Kenyans in the US military than On WCAP.

Alan

jingo 101 wrote:

Lagat is an American but I still take issue with his competing for the US. You should have a one-time chance to pick your Olympic nation. His is Kenya.

Got no problem with him being here, being a citizen etc.

Lomong is different (for example). He arrived here as a youth and did not compete for anyone else.

Same with Farah.

This.

Big fan of guys like Chelimo gaining citizenship. The WCAP crew only speaks highly of the United States. They do not mention their previous citizenship or talk like they miss it. They want to be Americans, and their god-given ability has allowed them to expedite that.

Brit abroad isn't a brit. He's a redneck.

Brit Abroad wrote:

I would consider an American to be someone who was born or raised (for a significant portion of their life) in America; or someone who was born to American parents.

Ergo, Mo Farah is NOT a Brit, using your "expert" opinion on who is and is not a citizen of a country. Just know that the majority of the countries in the world have citizenship rules and disagree with your "expert" opinion.

You should consider moving to a country that see things way, but sadly for you they would never let someone like you become a citizen of theirs.

In summary; it sucks to be you.

jingo 101 wrote:

You should have a one-time chance to pick your Olympic nation. His is Kenya.

? This makes no sense at all. Why limit the choice of country of citizenship to the Olympics, or any sport? That would be a stupid rule that limits a personal choice of citizenship.

You let foreigners join your army these days?

That’s probably why you Americans haven’t had a successful military campaign since the Okinawa invasion in 1945.

Everything since has either been a military or political disaster.

Let’s see - Korea? - a defeat (or stalemate) snatched from the jaws of victory.

Vietnam? I seem to recall you Americans dropping three times the total WW2 bomb load plus a million gallons of herbicide on a certain peasant nation, killing 3 million of them and STILL cowardly ran away from that country with your tails between your legs.

Afghanistan? - I remember the Soviet ‘invasion’ of that country was at the invitation of the communist government there, who were desperately trying to drag that country into the twenty first century and being violently opposed by the old tribal radical Islamists.

You Yanks (apart from boycotting the Moscow Olympics) predictably armed the opposition Mujahideen to the teeth, and when they won, they metamorphosised into the Taliban, who you Yanks have now been fighting for the last 18 years!

You couldn’t’ make it up.

And nothing has been comparable to the American’s disastrous invasion of Iraq and Libya, the overthrow of both Saddam and Gadaffi - leaving both countries at the mercy of the radical Islamists and the total destruction of a Christian community that had survived in Iraq for 2000 years - and protected by Saddam.

Incidentally, when the U.S. military “liberates” a nation, it’s done in the name of bring ‘freedom and democracy’ to that country - instead, we find just the opposite.

In fact, in every single case since 1945, especially since 9/11 when the U.S. military has “liberated” a nation, it has resulted in either the death of millions, many more millions as refugees and the persecution of Christians in that country becoming much worse.