Commentary: MAVNI program needs to be fixed ... and the military needs immigrants’ critical...

Military.com is owned by Sightline Media, the same company that owns Gannett/USA Today. I would not assume they have the militaries best interest at heart or what they are writing is reflective of reality. They MAVNI was stopped for very good reasons and while I support immigrants that have solid backgrounds getting a chance to serve it is not a guarantee and many will not make the screen.

The editorial leads with a typically deceptive paragraph:

"The greatest strength of our nation’s military has always been, and remains, our exceptional service members. The military services have the privilege of drawing from a large and diverse talent pool, including dedicated and talented immigrants. Today, there are thousands of immigrants serving with distinction."

The first sentence is true, the second sentence is partly true but not accurate. The vast majority of those that serve are US Citizens, period. Immigrants can be additive to the pool and they also present some risks that citizens may not. This program was stopped by the Obama administration which was a sound decision and the program needs to be revamped.

Thanks for sharing.

I served with many Eastern Europeans in the early 1970s during the Iron Curtain/Cold War days. Many had escaped - sometimes under fire from their previous 'countrymen. My experience was that those soldiers bought with them Intense Dedication and Extreme Loyalty. All the the other skills they learned once they fought their way to the United States and then joined the services.
That being said - Thanks for posting this article