I'm about to join the Brazilian Air Force, I will serve as an Air Traffic Controller, Sergeant E-5, NATO Code OR-5. My question is, after serving the Brazilian Air Force is it at all possible for me to join the US Marine Corps? If so, will having previously served in the military help me in the Corps?

Originally Posted by Breno2006

I'm about to join the Brazilian Air Force, I will serve as an Air Traffic Controller, Sergeant E-5, NATO Code OR-5. My question is, after serving the Brazilian Air Force is it at all possible for me to join the US Marine Corps? If so, will having previously served in the military help me in the Corps?

No it will not help you.
IF you have decided to go the USMC route you should get that started as soon as possible..You have a long way ahead of you untill you reach your goal.
Do a search in this forum on joining the US military as a foreigner, most of your questions have probably been covered over the years.

Good luck.
//KJ.

You can join. I had a friend that was in the IDF and served. You have to at least have a green card to join the US Military. No green card, no joining.

Thank you very much for the answer, the green card problem can be solved. I just needed to make sure it was possible to join the Corps after serving in Brazil!
Thanks again!

Once you leave the US it's going to be tough getting back in on anything other than a student visa.
If you are in the US, don't leave. Find a job if you can (and as a foreigner right now, it's next to impossible) and stay here as long as you can. That alone can take you anywhere between five to eight years. Also, during that time, travel out of the US will always be risky. Any Customs and Borders agent can revoke your Green Card upon re-entry if they deem that you are no longer a permanent resident and they could do it because you get into an argument with them.
So in short, if I were you, I'd stay in the US. And don't travel abroad while you're awaiting your Green Card as well. The paperpushers here have this nagging habit of resetting your "time in country" to zero every time you leave.

I dont know how Brazils laws deal with this issue , but a Dutch national doing military service under another nations flag will definately loose his Dutchmanship .. Its a constitutional thing ....

Originally Posted by 334

I dont know how Brazils laws deal with this issue , but a Dutch national doing military service under another nations flag will definately loose his Dutchmanship .. Its a constitutional thing ....

Hello 334,

ehm..not really. He would be free to choose within NATO - after his intitial national service or by serving in a "joint" Brigade. If a German (I think also a Dutch) would have served in another (non NATO) countries military before being conscripted or volunteered - he wouldn't loose his citizenship - but the Bundeswehr would usually reject his application or would not call onto his national service.

There is a grey issue in this matter as well - West-German Luftwaffe pilots and other personal did serve in the USAF (As Americans) during Vietnam and also in the Navy and Army, and still are. There is a speciall accord between the US and Germany - and the US has several accords with other nations in this matter - maybe also Brasil.
Several instructers and lecturers at the USAF "Springs" Academy - are foreigners serving partially in US uniforms.

The former Bundeswehr Command "GH" - nowaday's termed differently, used to be the coordinator for international transfers - as such you would be able to serve in another countries Armed Forces - in their respective uniform - with "official" approval. Due to the dual citizenship program one is nowaday's even free to join whoever - if the other country/party agrees.

Especially in two specific units in the 80's we had quite a number of Americans serving in the Bundeswehr - usually they had an American father and German mother.

Regards
Kruska

Tried to look it up Kruska ..there have been changes in constitution since 1984 ..People who have a double nationality are exceptions to fullfill a foreign draft within NATO (think of turkish dutch citizens)..

De Rijkswet op het Nederlanderschap, uit 1984, bevat nu dan ook de toevoeging dat verlies van Nederlanderschap door vreemde krijgsdienst pas mogelijk werd indien er tevens handelingen tegen de Nederlandse staat plaatshadden.
Artikel 15, lid 1"Het Nederlanderschap gaat voor een meerderjarige verloren:e.indien hij zich vrijwillig in vreemde krijgsdienst begeeft van een staat die betrokken is bij gevechtshandelingen tegen het Koninkrijk dan wel tegen een bondgenootschap waarvan het Koninkrijk lid is." translated:

The Realm of Dutch citizenship in 1984, now includes therefore adding that the loss of Dutch nationality by foreign military service became possible only when there are also actions against the Dutch state took place.

Article 15, paragraph 1 "The Dutch nationality is a major loss: E . if he voluntarily enters into foreign military service in a state that is involved in hostilities against the Kingdom or against an alliance of which the Kingdom is a member. "
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Looks like youre right Andy .Its all pretty recent though and after reoganising of our defense system done with the international NATO tasks we are given today in mind .

Originally Posted by 334

Tried to look it up Kruska ..there have been changes in constitution since 1984 ..People who have a double nationality are exceptions to fullfill a foreign draft within NATO (think of turkish dutch citizens)..

De Rijkswet op het Nederlanderschap, uit 1984, bevat nu dan ook de toevoeging dat verlies van Nederlanderschap door vreemde krijgsdienst pas mogelijk werd indien er tevens handelingen tegen de Nederlandse staat plaatshadden.
Artikel 15, lid 1"Het Nederlanderschap gaat voor een meerderjarige verloren:e.indien hij zich vrijwillig in vreemde krijgsdienst begeeft van een staat die betrokken is bij gevechtshandelingen tegen het Koninkrijk dan wel tegen een bondgenootschap waarvan het Koninkrijk lid is." translated:

The Realm of Dutch citizenship in 1984, now includes therefore adding that the loss of Dutch nationality by foreign military service became possible only when there are also actions against the Dutch state took place.

Article 15, paragraph 1 "The Dutch nationality is a major loss: E . if he voluntarily enters into foreign military service in a state that is involved in hostilities against the Kingdom or against an alliance of which the Kingdom is a member. "
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Looks like youre right Andy .Its all pretty recent though and after reoganising of our defense system done with the international NATO tasks we are given today in mind .

Hello Henk,

no problem buddy - I thought so that you were refering to prior 1984 and overlooked the "hostillity" part.

Regards
Andy

this is done to protect spies isn't it?