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I have a friend who's really considering of going to U.S. military and I might be going with him.
We're from Estonia not U.S. and have some questions of how this whole thing might go down.
I'd like to know how does it all work. Do you have to have a citizenship/green card to be part of the military? or can you just sign up and go?
Correct me if I'm wrong but I remember that Marine Corps have 15 month training. Do I need to have some green card or something to be in the U.S. while the training keeps going?
Also, after the two year service is over, is it easier to become part of the USA? Is getting a green card still mandatory or is the citizenship easier to come?
First, I would suggest the moderators move this thread to the Military Issues Forum. In that forum, you might find someone who has done or knows someone who has done, exactly what your are thinking about doing.
This is what I know, or what I think I know about this topic:
I would suggest contacting the US Embassy in Tallinn as your first move. I know for certain that you do NOT have to be a US citizen to join the US military. My guess is that that military as your employer would sponsor your green card, and since they are part of the government it would easy for them to get one for you, provided your qualifications meet the standards of whichever branch you seek to join.
Basic Training in the various services, Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, will last about 3-4 months. After that you will then be sent to advanced training in your chosen specialty. That training can be relatively short at another 3-4 months, or quite long as in another 12 months. The longer training will require a longer service commitment. It wouldn't be worth their while to train you for such a long period and then have you work at your job for only 9 months.
Yes, serving in the military does make getting a green card, and eventual citizenship easier, but I don't know any further details.
So, the first thing to do is contact the US embassy and explain to them what you want to do. Somewhere in the embassy is someone who knows all about this and could accurately answer all of your questions.
The training will be tough, but it will also be the experience of a lifetime, in both good and challenging ways.
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