Green Berets Joining
Posted: Sat 14 May, 2011 6:51 pm
				
				Can you join the Green Berets straight up or only from other military units.  
  
 
Ares
			Ares
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During the beginning phases of Special Forces (Before the Beret) in the 1952-1958 time zone, foreign nationals were allowed to join Special Forces under the provisions of the Lodge Act. When I first went into Special Forces there were a lot of senior non-commissioned officers around who had very thick accents, also a few officers. My first "Team Daddy" had been a Fallshirmjaeger in the Whermacht before joining SF. It was a quick way for the Army to get language capability on the teams and a quick way to citizenship for the Lodge Act solldiers. My Team Daddy became an officer during the Korean War and served as an artillellry officer then got caught in a RIF and reverted to NCO. He kept his reserve commission all the years that he was on active duty as a Master Sergeant in SF and shortly before I was put on levy for Vietnam, he was activated in his commissioned grade (Major) and ended up as a staff officer in MACV-SOG. After Vietnam he reverted to NCO again but happily retired as a Major because he finally got his 10 years active duty as an officer.Wholley wrote:I see where your going with this.
Yes the United States allowed foreign nationals to join the armed forces during the Vietnam war.
They were grunts.No spec.ops. No Delta No Seals No Marine Recon.
Just grunts.
The deal was to serve two tours'IN COUNTRY' ie in combat.Then the D of S would consider you for citizenship provided you jumped through a few more hoops.
That ended with the war.
Hope this helps.