Three spouses of Airmen in Norway earn citizenship

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Joel Mease
  • 501st Combat Support Wing Public Affairs
STAVANGER, Norway (AFNS) --  
Three spouses of Airmen stationed at the NATO Joint Warfare Center and the 426th Air Base Squadron took their oath of allegience to become U.S. citizens Aug. 19 in Stavanger, Norway.

A complex process for new citizens, Andrea Rodriguez-Sanchez, Rowena Jarman and Cornelia Jude, was made simpler thanks to a law that eliminates the need for servicemembers' spouses to travel to the U.S. for the nautrilization process, as long as they are stationed overseas.

"The whole process for my wife has taken some time as she got her permanent Residence almost four years ago while we were stationed in Turkey," said Master Sgt. Douglas Jarman.

To add to the ease of the spouses, an immigration officer was willing to come to them in Norway.

"The U.S. Embassy in Frankfurt was willing to send a person to Stavanger to conduct the interviews, testing and naturalization ceremony," said Master Sgt. Cristobal Rodriguez. "If they wouldn't have done this, our families would have had to fly to either London, Frankfurt or Rome to conduct the naturalization process. This was a huge cost savings for my family, not to include all the stress of traveling with three small children."

After all the "i"s were dotted and "t's crossed, the emotion for the families was especially strong for reaching an important milestone in their families' lives.

"It was a very emotional day for me, especially when my wife raised her right hand and repeated the oath of allegiance," said Sergeant Rodriquez. "I am very proud of her. Becoming a U.S. citizen will open numerous possibilities for her life and career."

"I have reflected upon the fact that so many of us are born into U.S. citizenship we take for granted," Sergeant Jarman said. "It is a big thing to have that blue passport and be able to call yourself an American citizen."

When Sergeant Rodriguez asked his wife the next day, how she felt about being a U.S. citizen, she said, "It felt right, I know I made the right choice."