Here Are 25 Soldiers Who Became US Citizens On The Fourth

Four Filipinos, two Salvadoran women and a Palauan born in the tiny island republic in the middle of the Pacific Ocean were among the 25 young men and women who chose to serve a country that had not yet recognized them as citizens. On the Fourth of July, they finally obtained that recognition, by taking their oaths in the presence of their commander in chief, President Barack Obama. Since 2001, the U.S. has been fast-tracking foreign-born residents for citizenship if they volunteer for any branch of military service. Here is list of the newest citizen-soldiers by their country of origin:

BOLIVIA

Oscar Javier Beltran Medina joined the U.S. Air Force in 2009 as a vehicle operator. While serving Beltran has completed community college courses and volunteers at the Charlotte Hall Veterans home in Maryland.

CAMEROON

Terence Njikang Ekabe enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in June 2011 as a medical technician. He volunteers to raise money for veterans' families.

CAPE VERDE ISLANDS

Miguel Andrade moved to the U.S. in 2008 and made his way to a coveted spot in the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment's Scout Platoon.

CHINA

Yuxiong Jin arrived in 2008 and later enlisted in the U.S. Army.

COLOMBIA

Jhonathan Gerardo Zapata joined the U.S. Army in January.

Cristian Felipe Zapata Gil serves as a U.S. Army watercraft engineer and was inspired to enlist after the Jan. 12, 2010, Haiti earthquake.

ECUADOR

Guillermo Enrique Roche Rendon has earned the U.S. Army Service Ribbon and the National Defense Service Medal. Roche dropped out of high school to support his family and later earned his GED and completed some college before enlisting.

EL SALVADOR

Luisa Maria Childers joined the U.S. Army in 2009 as a parachute rigger. She says she is working to become an Army medic.

Fatima Vanessa Rivera Fuentes works on UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters as a National Guard aviation electronics technician.

GHANA

Sedrick Kwesi Sam serves as a U.S. Air Force airman.

GUATEMALA

Carlos Eduardo Navichoque enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2009 and was deployed to Iraq with the 2nd Battalion of the 14th Infantry Regiment in 2010 where he earned the Combat Action Badge as a Motor Transport Operator.

Byron Oswaldo Acevedo enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in April 2010. The lance corporal has served in Iraq and Afghanistan where he earned a Purple Heart and seven other medals and ribbons.

GUINEA

Mamadou Aliou Diallo enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in May 2011 and works at the Marine Barracks in Washington D.C. He has earned two medals.

HONDURAS

Silvano Carcamo enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2009 as a combat medic for Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. He earned three decorations while serving in Afghanistan.

MEXICO

Francisco Jose Ballesteros de la Rosa joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2009 where he has earned the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.

NIGERIA

Oluwatosin K. Akinduro grew up in Houston and enlisted in the National Guard.

PALAU

Faye Ubad Ngirchomlei enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2008 and was assigned to the 511th Military Police Company at Fort Drum, N.Y., as an automated logistic specialist. She was later deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, to work in the maintenance section serving outlying platoons in the field.

PHILIPPINES

Daniel Arcenal Geneta joined the National Guard in 2006 and is a squad leader for the 719th Transportation Company.

Aegean Pascua Obed serves as a Mobile Gun System crew member in A Company, 3-21 Infantry.

Praseuthsith Phimmasone serves in the 6th Engineer Support Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group and has received numerous commendations, including the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

Hans Lemuel Pang Sy joined the U.S. Army last October.

RUSSIA

Sergey Eliseev has earned the U.S. Army Achievement Medal and four other decorations.

Alexey Isachenko has earned the National Defense Service Medal and three other decorations.

Alla Victorovna Ausheva joined the New York Army National Guard in July 2011 and serves as a maintenance technician in Company G of the 427th Brigade Support Battalion.

UKRAINE

Andriy Olegovich Gener, who arrived in the U.S. a day before the 9/11 attacks, serves with the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division in Fort Carson, Colo.