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Citizen-soldiers indeed

Sep-24-2004 » Filed Under: 1/25 SBCT

Another article about the citizenship ceremony yesterday.

[Link to Full Article]

ANGIE LEVENTIS; The News Tribune

Spc. Owusu Gyamfi enlisted in the U.S. Army two months after his cousin was killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center.

Although he wasn't a U.S. citizen, the Ghana native felt compelled to serve his adopted homeland in memory of his fallen relative.

On Thursday, three weeks before his scheduled deployment to Iraq, the 24-year-old Fort Lewis soldier finally became a citizen of the nation for which he was already willing to put his life on the line.

Gyamfi was one of 10 soldiers in the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division who took the oath of allegiance at Fort Lewis' first citizenship ceremony.

The post's second Stryker brigade - made up of nearly 5,000 soldiers - is in the process of deploying to Iraq to replace troops from the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. That division is wrapping up a one-year tour of duty in the Mosul area.

"Now, I'm very happy," Gyamfi said with a grin as he filled out his first voter registration card after the ceremony. He leaves for Iraq on Oct. 14.

These men have journeyed from Europe, Asia, South America and Africa. Some immigrated as children. Others, like Gyamfi, have been in the United States for only a few years.

Fort Lewis officials said another 98 soldiers from the 1st Brigade plan to apply for citizenship early next month.[...]


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