Spec. Zaijun Nan wanted to pursue his education, but after completing his degree and spending some time in the United States, he joined the U.S. Army and later became a U.S. citizen.
"It was a tough decision, but I did not hesitate because the longer I stayed in the U.S. the more I liked this country, and the more I appreciated its values; compassion, kindness, innovation, determination and can-do spirit," Nan said. "I believe it was a critical stepping stone in realizing my 'American dream.'"
Nan joined the U.S. Army through the Military Accessions Vital to National Interest program, a program that authorizes the military services to recruit certain legal aliens whose skills are considered to be vital to national interest, according to a Department of Defense fact sheet on the program.
The dental assistant, who is assigned to White Sands Missile Range working at McAfee U.S. Army Medical and Dental Clinic, is multi-lingual fluent in Mandarin, Korean and Japanese. He will be using that skill as he achieves his goal of developing a career in public service.
Nan passed the special operations civil affairs assessment and selection in April 2016. He will be serving as a civil affairs specialist over the next five years.
"I enjoy learning languages and I like working with people from other countries," he said. "Due to my multicultural background, I am interested in other cultures and I am passionate about helping people to achieve their goals of providing a safe and secure environment for their families."
As he moves forward in this new career he hopes to share the very things that drew him to love the United States.
"My goal is to incorporate humility and empathy into our mission to represent America's values, beliefs and character the best way possible in order to secure and expand America's influence in the world," he said. "I want to make a difference and have a positive impact through thoughtful and realistic missions."
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