Citizenship, immigration field support office opens at Fort Sill

FORT SILL, Okla. (Oct. 26, 2017) -- The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) opened a field office Oct. 19, at Fort Sill for military personnel and their families who are seeking citizenship.

The same day, eight basic combat training Soldiers from C Battery, 1st Battalion, 79th Field Artillery became naturalized U.S. citizens during a ceremony as part of the battery's family day activities.

Pvts. Marcial Barajas Hernandez (Mexico), Ignacio Garcia Botti (Uruguay), Blessing Harris (Japan), Hyun Jee Lee (South Korea), Shantal Minto (Jamaica), Valentina Ocampo Vargas (Colombia), and Selvin Rivera Alfaro (Honduras) took the oath of allegiance from Susan Curda, USCIS Central Regional director.

"I believe that we all acknowledge that is a special person who decides to dedicate his or her life to the service of their country," said Curda, who is based in of Dallas. "I believe that it is an extraordinary person who decides to do so for a country that is not yet their own."

These candidates represent the ideals of the United States and its rights and privileges that they are dedicated to preserving, yet they have not been able to enjoy the full extent of those rights, she said.

"Not only do they represent everything that is good about this country, they represent the diversity that built this country," the director said. "This morning these men and women woke up as citizens of eight different countries they will depart this field as citizens of one country, members of one family."

The eight Soldiers were part of the 235 Soldiers who graduated from BCT the following day, Oct. 20.

What did it mean to become a Soldier and a U.S. citizen ?

"It's the best feeling, ever," said Garcia Botti, age 18, who grew up in New Jersey. He will go on to train and become a pharmacy specialist.

Several members of the Garcia family made the trip from New Jersey to attend the ceremony.

Minto, age 17, grew up on Long Island, N.Y. She said she was very proud to become an American citizen. She said she did not find the citizenship testing difficult because she has been in the United States since she was 6-months-old. Minto will train to become a nutrition care specialist.

Drill Sergeant (Staff Sgt.) Aerial Andrews, C/1-79th FA, said English as a second language trainees perform well in BCT.

Those who speak English well talk to other trainees in their respective native language to help them understand tasks and overcome obstacles, Andrews said.

The Fort Sill Field Support Office is in Bldg. 6004, Edwards Street, on the BCT side of the post. The facility was dedicated in honor of Capt. Jose Cabalfin Calugas, who was a Fort Sill artillery Soldier, and World War II Medal of Honor recipient.

Col. Todd Wasmund, Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill chief of staff; Stephen Hodson, USCIS Fort Sill Field Support Office supervisor; Tony Bryson, USCIS Dallas District director; and Bruce Pauline, USCIS Oklahoma City Field Office director, and Curda, cut the ribbon to open the facility.

With the Fort Sill Field Office opening, USCIS officers will no longer have to make the 90-mile trip from Oklahoma City to naturalize service members, said Mark Siegl, USCIS Houston C Field Office director, who used to work in the OKC office. He said it took a couple years working with the Army and USCIS headquarters to make it happen.

The Fort Sill office's six USCIS employees, which includes two contractors, will be able to provide better service to the military community here, Siegl said. Approximately 100 Soldiers will be naturalized here every month.

Executive Order 13269 signed by President George Bush on July 3, 2002, expedited the naturalization of noncitizens who enlist in the U.S. military and seek U.S. citizenship. Candidates for citizenship must apply, pass tests, demonstrate an ability to read, write, and speak English, and be committed to the U. S. Constitution and the laws and good order and happiness, Curda said. It's not unusual for a USCIS field support office to be on a military installation, and it is part of the agency's commitment to serve the military and nation, Bryson said.

In 2017, the top five countries of nationality for people seeking U.S. citizenship in Oklahoma were: Mexico, Vietnam, India, the Philippines and Burma.