"My entire career depends on me getting off this list," said Erich Scherfen, who served as an infantryman in the US Army for 13 years.

"I probably won't be able to get a job anywhere else in the world having this mark that I'm on this list."

Scherfen's quandary may have come about as a result of his conversion to Islam.

His wife, Rubina Tareen, emigrated from Pakistan when she was 17 and is now a US citizen.

She now runs a small business selling Islamic books and DVDs, which she claims are non-political in content.

"I have no idea why I am on the list, and they're not telling officially that I'm even on the list," Scherfen said.

Colgan Air, Mr Scherfen's employers, informed him in April that his job would be terminated on September 1st unless he got his name removed from the list.

A lawsuit has now been filed in a federal court in Pennsylvania, asking the US government to remove Scherfen and his wife, from any watch lists or databases that prevent them travelling.

"It is quite clear when the government does something that takes away not just your job but your occupation, your career, they have to provide you with some means to clear your name," said Witold Walczak of the American Civil Liberties Union, who is representing Scherfen and his wife in court.

"Unfortunately, it is a problem that is shared by countless individuals who have no connection to terrorism, have no connection to crime and don't belong on this list."

"The problem with what the government is doing is that they really don't care about innocent casualties."

Scherfen feels that an already terrible situation has been made worse by his 13 year record of serving his country in conflicts such as the Gulf War.

"We served honourably," he said.

"We served in a war."

"And they're thumbing their noses at us, basically, and that makes me feel...really sad about this situation."