US Army for Hire

As Trump pushes to remove the US from the armed conflict in the Ukraine, the European nations under the banner of ‘Coalition of the Willing’ scramble to find men, material and resources to fill the gap if and when the US withdraws.

The arguments for the US this are many and mostly center around the enormous cost of continuing a war that looks to have no end in sight.

Should Americans be forced to foot the bill for a war on the other side of the world, regardless of our sympathies for the Ukrainian people?

The answer may be yes and no.

Most European nations have a lack of trained military personnel and weapons. They have been largely depending on the US military to supply that. While it is true that we have probably the best trained, supplied and weaponized army in the world; should we give all this away for free?

It may be time to put out the US Army for hire. This would not be a ‘security force’ or ‘security company’ but the actual US Army hired out to individual nations to continue their peace keeping efforts. Places like Germany, Sweden, the UK and France might have more in the way of money than actual military resources. Under the joint command of European/US command, the army can be ‘on loan’ for a fee. The conditions of what they either do or do not do can be ironed out in advance. A win-win situation; the American people, the president and Congress can all be happy that we are recouping some of our losses (unlikely to be a profit maker) and the other countries involved get the additional resources they desperately need and quickly too. All of this requires some real thinking outside the box, but it is probably time and maybe over-time to consider.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of militaries that recruit foreign applicants. This includes any individuals who are aliens of the polity whose armed forces they are being recruited to join by professional recruiters. The foreigners do not need to be legal residents of that nation, but may gain legal residence status by joining the armed forces. More than 90 states have implemented such recruitment policies between 1815 and 2020.^[1]

A

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• Australia
  • Australian Defence Force
  • Permanent residents who can prove they have applied for citizenship. Or permanent residents who are ineligible to apply for Australian citizenship as long as they are prepared to apply for citizenship within 3 months of commencing service (or 6 months if in the ADF Reserve). If permanent residents refuse citizenship or fail in their application, their ADF service will be terminated. On July 5, 2024, New Zealanders, followed by other foreigners who have legal residency status for one year and has no record for working in a foreign military for two years (previously) can join the ADF and be awarded Australian nationality.^[2]

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• Bahrain
  • The forces in Bahrain are made up of Sunni foreigners, mainly Arabs and Pakistanis serving within them. This has become a topic of debate; the majority Shia Bahrainis are not happy with foreigners in the positions of power while the native Bahrainis are barred from them.^{[6][unreliable source?]}
• Belgium
  • Belgian Armed Forces – Any citizen of a country of the European Union within the age of 18 to 34 (33 for officers) is eligible to join the forces.^[7][8][9]
• Bolivia
  • Foreign nationals resident in Bolivia at conscription age are permitted to join the armed forces, which simplifies their naturalization process.^[10]

C

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• Canada
  • Canadian Armed Forces – On November 11, 2022, the CAF announced that Canadian permanent residents are eligible to join.^[11] Prior to this, PRs were allowed to be recruited through the Skilled Military Foreign Applicant (SMFA) program.^[12]
• Croatia
  • Croatian Armed Forces – Any ethnic Croat or a person of partial Croat ancestry has the right to obtain Croatian citizenship, thus becoming eligible to join the Croatian Armed Forces. This practice has been commonplace for ethnic Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, upon enlistment, potential personnel are required to renounce their dual citizenship with Bosnia & Herzegovina, in case they hold one.^{[citation needed]}
• Cyprus
  • Cypriot National Guard – Cyprus accepts all foreign nationals of at least partial Cypriot descent as volunteers.^[13]

D

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• Denmark
  • Danish Defence – Foreign nationals already living in Denmark or in another EU country may apply to join the Danish armed forces. Rumors have circulated^{[clarification needed]} that it’s required that they have lived one year in Denmark if applying within or six years if applying within an EU country. However, they must be fluent in Danish and must be able to write it as well.^[14]

F

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• France
  • French Foreign Legion (Légion Étrangère) – The Legion is a corps of the French Army. Formed in 1831, it is designed to foreigners willing to serve in the French Armed Forces. Legionnaires come from around the world and applicants must be aged between 17.5 and 39.5.^[15]

G

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• Greece
  • Hellenic Armed Forces – Ethnic Greeks accepted to the military academies for officers or non-commissioned officers of the Greek armed forces (according to the special law governing each school) or who enlist in the armed forces as volunteers (according to the law governing each branch) acquire Greek nationality automatically from the time they enter the academies or are enlisted. Knowledge of Greek language at fluent level is required.
• India
  • Indian Army – Recruits Nepalese and Bhutanese citizens, and refugees from Tibet who intend to permanently settle in India.^[17] Recruits of Indian origin who have migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Thailand, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India may also join.^[17]
• Ireland
  • Irish Defence Forces – Nationals of the European Economic Area, which includes member states of the European Union along with the United Kingdom, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, as well as foreign residents having lived in Ireland for 5 years continuously.^[18]
• Israel
  • Israel Defense Forces – Israel recruits non-Israeli Jews—and non-Jews with at least one Jewish grandparent—through the Mahal and Garin Tzabar programs. They also recruit those who converted to Judaism.^[19]

L

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• Luxembourg
  • Luxembourg Army – Any citizen of a country of the European Union who has resided in Luxembourg for at least 36 months and is at least 18 years old but not yet 27 is eligible to join the army.^[20]

M

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• Monaco
  • Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince and the Corps des Sapeurs-Pompiers – Recruits French people, as well as native Monegasques.^[21][22]
• Montenegro
  • In cases of war foreigners are allowed to volunteer to join the Montenegrin Armed Forces^[23]

N

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• New Zealand
  • Overseas: A serving member of another military can join the New Zealand Defence Force. The requirements are to be a current or recently serving (within 6–12 months) member of the UK, Australian, US or Canadian Armed Forces, have been a citizen of either the UK, Australia, US, or Canada for a minimum period of 10 years, or have been living in NZ for a minimum period of 5 years, be eligible for release from current service within 18 months of applying, and meet current vacancy criteria at the time of application.^[24]
• Norway
  • Norwegian Armed Forces – By agreement between the two countries citizens of Iceland are accepted.^[25]

R

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• Russia
  • The Russian Armed Forces accepts foreigners of any country to their ranks. Under a plan, posted on the ministry’s web site in 2010, foreigners without dual citizenship are able to sign up for five-year contracts – and are eligible for Russian citizenship after serving three years. According to the amended law, a citizen of any foreign country aged 18–30 with a good command of Russian and a clean record can sign an initial five-year contract to join the Army.^[26][27]

S

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• Singapore
  • Singapore has always made use of Gurkhas to help with special military and police roles. During the colonial days, many soldiers were brought to Singapore from other British colonies. From 2011, Second-generation male permanent residents are bound by Singapore’s conscription laws to the same extent Singaporean citizens are, and therefore must do the standard active and reserve service in the military, police, or civil defense force.^[28]
• Slovakia
  • Slovakia allows some foreigners to join, on the condition that they are citizens of an EU member state or a state that is a member of an international defence organisation from which Slovakia is a member.^[29]
• Spain
  • Spanish Armed Forces – Spain recruits citizens of its former Empire (except Morocco, the Philippines and Puerto Rico). Citizens of Argentina, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Colombia, Cuba, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay or Venezuela may enlist in the Spanish Legion (except as submarine personnel) with temporary/permanent residence or acquired Spanish citizenship.^[30]

U

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• Ukraine
  • Any person of demonstrable Ukrainian heritage descent can become a citizen through military service. According to the website of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine,^[31] the foreigners of age 18–45 (in exceptional cases up to 60 years old) can be contracted by Ukrainian Army for the 3–5 years term, depending on qualification. The legislation was in place since 2015.^[32] It has been reported that EU, UK,^[33] Georgian and Belarusian citizens have been serving in the Ukrainian Ground Forces since the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian War.^[32]
  • Ukrainian volunteer battalions
    • International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine
• United Arab Emirates
  • There are people from other Arab or nearby Muslim countries, who have served in the UAE, mainly in non-uniformed positions. This was mainly after independence from the UK in 1971, when the UAE government was still evolving.^[34] Prior to that, the UK stationed their own troops and equipment in the region (known as the Trucial States)^{[citation needed]}
• United Kingdom
  • British Armed Forces – The British Army has continued the historic practice of recruiting Gurkhas from Nepal to serve in the Brigade of Gurkhas. They are selected and recruited in Nepal, and are expected to keep their Nepali citizenship throughout the length of their service.^[35]
• Vatican City
  • Vatican City’s sole armed forces, The Swiss Guard, is made up entirely of Swiss Catholics; however, Swiss Guards are granted Vatican citizenship while they serve.^[43]