The recent eviction of immigrant soldiers from our U.S. Army and other military services is yet another example of a decline in the integrity of our government in recent times. First it was the abandonment of many treaties and accords that we as a country had made with our fellow nations in the world.

Now it is the breaking of a contract that has worked successfully in past years, decades, and centuries to augment our military forces with thousands of honorable immigrant soldiers.

The excuse being used by the U.S. Army that these soldiers are security threats is as thin as the many other excuses being used by our government to cover a growing racism in the current administration’s policies. If these new troops are deemed to be security risks, then you might as well count in approximately 40 percent of the Army.

A large percentage of the young men and women in our armed forces have an immigrant heritage and therefore may have relatives in many other countries (including some of the “shit hole” countries that our commander-in-chief has referred to). If our military forces were to eject all of the soldiers that have connections to legal or illegal peoples of other nations, we would lose most of our protective force.

Although my mom and dad were U.S. citizens, my grandparents emigrated from Mexico and Belgium. I grew up in a barrio town in Los Angeles where it was very common to see photos of sons and daughters in their basic-training graduation pictures.

Sadly, I remember that a number of these photos were also adorned with a traditional (Ofrenda), or altar, because this soldier had already lost their life in the service of their country.

Although not highlighted in our school’s history books, the battle for the independence of the colonies was fought with the aid of Spanish, French, German and even Indian (Muslim) soldiers. Our original national mission statement was one that accepted people of all beliefs and heritage. Our strength as a country was built on a blending of the skills and innovations of immigrants from many foreign lands.

As I write this letter, I am working in support of many different soldiers who are operating here at the Army training area on Hawaii island. Today I have seen soldiers from Australia, the Philippines, Malaysia and South Korea, in addition to our own soldiers and Marines all working together in support of the RIMPAC exercise.

So, while our country is openly attempting to interweave the manpower and technology of many nations, it is also quietly removing soldiers from service simply due to their heritage. These soldiers agreed to give up their life if necessary for the United States of America, but the “new” America that I live in has chosen to break the promise that was made to them.

It is frustrating to be a citizen of a country whose leadership has forgotten its history and its roots. Immigrants have been at the core of the major industries in America since the country began. They played a huge part in building the infrastructure that we all enjoy such as the highways, railways and waterways in the U.S. They have been essential to the farming and agricultural industry, working jobs that few on us would dare take on ourselves.

Our country is taking a direction for the worse in its policies toward immigrants, but especially those who made a commitment to serve in our armed forces. It is only one example of the unfounded and irrational racism that has no part in a country that was built on acceptance and diversity.

Randy Jackson a father and married to a Hong Kong immigrant. He served 14 years as an Army helicopter pilot, and is an aviation safety professional supporting the troops at Wheeler Army Airfield.