It's a national tradition for naturalization ceremonies for new U.S. citizens to be performed on Independence Day. This year, a Fort Drum soldier participated in a ceremony at the White House on July 4.
Army Specialist Carlos Navichoque took the oath of citizenship with about two dozen other active duty military service members in a ceremony in the East Room of the White House.
Navichoque was born in Guatemala City and enlisted in the Army in 2009. He deployed to Iraq with Fort Drum's “Golden Dragons,” the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, from March to August 2010, serving as a truck driver.
The president was scheduled to speak at the ceremony, and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano delivered the oath of allegiance before an audience of the service members' families.
Other soldiers previously assigned to Fort Drum also took part in the ceremony.