Ill. guard soldier in Kuwait gets citizenship

SPRINGFIELD — An Illinois National Guard soldier has earned his American citizenship while serving halfway around the world.

The guard says Spc. Chinonso Nwosu of Chicago became a citizen in a ceremony last month at a base in Kuwait.

Nwosu is from Nigeria but moved to the United States in 2004. He came to Chicago to study at Northeastern University.

The guard says he enlisted in 2006.

In a news release, Nwosu says he's been working hard to become a citizen. He became a citizen under a U.S. law allowing soldiers who have served since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to earn expedited citizenship.

Nwosu is part of the 1244th Transportation Company and served in Iraq in 2008 and 2009.