Speaking with Sailors: these questions are from a discussion with Sailors at a recent all hands call at Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif

All Hands, May, 2004 by Terry D. Scott

Q: I have been in the Navy for three years, and I would like to become a U.S. citizen. Has there been any progress in speeding up that process?

A: Yes. Sailors and all service members who have served honorably for any period of time beginning on or after Sept. 11, 2001, are now eligible to apply for expedited U.S. citizenship.

Speeding up the naturalization process for Sailors on active duty is an issue that's important to many of you in the fleet. The legislation that has helped accelerate this process was signed in 2002 by President George W. Bush as an executive order, providing immediate eligibility for Sailors to become naturalized citizens.

Beginning Oct. 1, 2004, the new law allows for U.S. citizenship applications to be finalized at U.S. embassies, consulates and selected military bases overseas. This will include citizenship interviews, testing and administering the oath.

The new law also waives the $310 citizenship application and fingerprint fee. Your local legal assistance office can provide all the details about this program and any other questions you may have regarding naturalization. You can also get additional information available on the JAG website at www.jag.navy.mil.

Q: My spouse and I are both E-4s, and both currently serving on sea duty. Is it true that we can both now receive basic allowance for housing (BAH)?

A: Yes, we recently made a change to that policy affecting junior Sailors married to other junior Sailors. If you are both on sea duty you can now each receive BAH. But there are some criteria that you must meet.

Both of you must be E-5 and below, both assigned to sea duty, have no other dependents, share the same household and have declined government housing. You must meet all of these conditions to qualify. This new entitlement will benefit approximately 1,200 Navy couples, and offer more consistency between our junior and senior enlisted military families serving at sea. Prior to this change, junior dual military couples were entitled to only one joint housing allowance.

The new policy is retroactive to Oct. 1, 2003. For more information on the BAH policy, see NAVADMIN 059/04, on the BUPERS website at www.bupers.navy.mil.