Three soldiers assigned to the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Benning became American citizens during a Wednesday ceremony at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.
“I can’t tell any of you about what commitment is,” Brig. Gen. Charles L. Taylor, 3rd Army/ARCENT chief of staff said before soldier recited the Oath of Citizenship. “Your personal commitment to this American dream knows that this is a journey, not a destination.”
The three new citizens are Spc. Yamilet Terry of Mexico, Spc. Deno Harold of Guyana and Spc. Ian Desengano of the Philippines. They were part of a ceremony that included a group of seven soldiers.
Becoming a citizen has been Terry’s goal since she was in training at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., in March.
With the general election coming in November, Terry and the others are now eligible to vote for the first time.
“Being able to vote is very important to me,” Terry said. “I believe that every vote counts and I want my vote to count.”
After the ceremony, Desengano said he will strive to be an example of a great American, and set an example for the next people who want to be Americans.
To end the program, the new citizens and nearly 100 soldiers in attendance recited the Pledge of Allegiance and watched a video message from President Barack Obama.
