Can an American Soldier Marry a British Woman?
A male American soldier can marry any woman he chooses, including a British one, and a female British national is similarly free to marry any man she chooses. There is no rule legally preventing them from formalizing their union; however, to do so they must follow the current marriage rules in effect within the specific jurisdiction they wish to get married.
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Nationality Is No Barrier
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No U.S. military body or branch has any rules legislating or suggesting the permitted or forbidden nationalities for the spouses of U.S. soldiers and military personnel. Except in two cases -- homosexuality and fraternization between enlisted personnel and officers -- the U.S. military leaves matters of the heart to the people involved. In addition, British law does not forbid or discourage the marriage of a British national to a foreign national, even if the foreign national is a soldier.
Homosexuality
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If a female American soldier attempted to marry a British woman, or any woman for that matter, it would constitute homosexual conduct and would not be permitted. As stated in the Army Command Policy's Army Regulation 600-20, the rule is that if an American soldier reveals that he or she has engaged in homosexual conduct, or independent evidence of homosexual conduct is brought to light, that constitutes grounds for separation, i.e. sufficient cause to be fired from the military.
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Marriage Rules
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A soldier being able to marry whomever he chooses is different than him being able to get married whenever he chooses. Specific marriage rules vary by country, state or province and city. Getting married in the city of San Francisco, California, for example, is open to both locals and foreigners, while getting married in the city of Madrid, Spain requires that at least one of the parties be a local resident.
Documents
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To get legally married in the United States, the couple may be asked to provide: a form of identification such as a local driver's license or passport, a divorce record if previously married, a death record if previously widowed and, in a couple of states, results of blood tests. Marriages performed abroad may also require, such as in the example of Madrid, Spain, proof of local residency from at least one of the parties, letters from the nearest U.S. embassy to waive local requirements like the Certificate of No Impediment and translations of any documents not in the local language.
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References
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