Air Force captain finishes long road to citizenship Published Dec. 15, 2008 By 2nd Lt. Jeffrey Weger 14th Medical Operations Squadron COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Captain Nicholas Johnson began his Air Force career as an enlisted maintainer in July 1994. He spent four years in various roles working with the F-117 program. In February 2004, he was selected to attend Officer Training School at Maxwell AFB, Ala., as a pilot selectee. Following undergraduate pilot training, he became a First Assignment Instructor Pilot in the T-38, serving in that capacity at Moody AFB, Ga., and here at Columbus AFB. Despite his contributions to the defense of the United States, you would be surprised to learn that until very recently, Captain Johnson was not a citizen of the U.S. Captain Johnson was born in Sheffield, England on Feb. 24, 1976. He entered the U.S. with his parents in September 1982 and was adopted two years later by his stepfather. While applying for a passport in 2004, Captain Johnson learned of an obscure law which grants citizenship to individuals who were adopted, but only if they were born before 1983. Captain Johnson was extremely surprised to learn he was officially not a citizen. "I was pretty shocked and I worried I would lose my commission as an officer," said Captain Johnson. The process to get naturalized took more than three years and only recently was he informed he would receive his citizenship. Captain Johnson was extremely relieved to know he would officially become a citizen. When asked about the citizenship process he said, "It was a really long road and I became discouraged at times but it was really something I wanted so I pushed through it."