A Laos native was given the Oath of Allegiance from the same man who granted her and her family residency in the U.S. more than 20 years ago. Spc. Veha Vaene, 3rd Bn, 82nd CAB, was among 134 U.S. service members who took the oath of citizenship led by Robert Looney, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services district director, Bangkok district, Thailand.
Looney realized he had done her paperwork in 1987 while examining the forms in her file for the naturalization process. "When I looked through the file that contained all her paperwork, I had seen my signature on the forms," said Looney. "I looked at her picture in the file; she was only 2 then, and she was crying in the photo." Vaene couldn't put in words how she felt about the coincidence, "I don't know how to explain it, but it's very cool."
Looney said his job is hard but often worthwhile. "We wear a lot of hats in our agency and we love doing the naturalization portion of it. Refugee resettlement is also rewarding," said Looney. "We travel all over the world and make really tough decisions on who we're going to allow into the U.S. It's not always easy."
Vaene said now that she's a full citizen of the U.S. it will give her better odds for success in the future. "Some companies ask if you're a U.S. citizen, and sometimes they'll say, 'Oh, sorry we can't hire you,'" Vaene said. "I couldn't get my security clearance because I'm not a U.S. citizen, so now I can put my foot in that door and get better jobs."
Vaene plans to continue her education and use her skills she has developed within her time in the military, among other things she's wanted to do. "I plan to finish school and use my warrior leadership skills and work in the civilian side," stated Vaene. "I feel accomplished and very proud of myself. I serve the states and live in the states and I feel I should become a citizen. Now I can vote."
