When Esmita Spudes Bidari was a young girl in Nepal, she dreamed of being in the military.

Now her dream has come true. But instead of serving in Nepal’s military, she recently joined the U.S. Army Reserves.

Bidari, who heads to basic training in August, is just the latest in a growing number of legal migrants entering the U.S. military.

In the U.S., military service is not required. And it has been difficult for the military to get enough people to volunteer. As a result, the Army and Air Force have reached out to immigrants, offering a pathway to citizenship for those who join.

The military is using social media and trying to connect to more people, particularly in inner cities. One important way they do this is by using recruiters with similar backgrounds to the immigrants.

“It is one thing to hear about the military from locals here, but it is something else when it’s from your fellow brother, from the country you’re from,” said Bidari. She was contacted by Army Staff Sergeant Kalden Lama, who is also from Nepal.