How to Be a Conscientious Objector

Although our country has a military draft system in place, the government cannot force someone into military service who has serious moral or religious objections to war. A conscientious objector is a person who has very strong beliefs that war is wrong--whether those beliefs are religious or moral. Read on to learn how to be a conscientious objector.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Determine if you fit the description for a conscientious objector. A conscientious objector is against participating in any war, not just wars that they feel are unjustified. Usually these objections come from religion or very strong moral beliefs against war in general.
2. Document anti-war support and beliefs. Pictures of yourself at rallies, letters to members of Congress (copy the letter for documentation) or any other documentation supporting your conscientious objector beliefs. Keep these together for ease of location should it ever be needed.
3. Receive draft notification. Appeals to the government beforehand will be ignored. You have to wait until you are being asked to serve.
4. Submit Form 9 to the area Selective Service. Form 9 is an appeal to be classified as a conscientious objector.
5. Receive ten days notice to appear in local board hearing. Make arrangements for up to three people to speak on your behalf to prove that going to war would violate your personal morals and/or religion.
6. Show up for the board meeting. Conscientious objector status will either be granted or denied.
7. Appeal denied status claims to the Selective Service District Appeal Board.
8. Appear at Selective Service District Appeal Board hearing. Status again will be approved or denied.
9. If conscientious objector status is denied, it may be appealed to the National Appeal Board if the decision to deny status was a split decision. If the decision to deny was unanimous, military service is mandatory.
10. Receive decision from National Appeal Board. If approved, assignment of draftee will be made to either a military position where weapons are not used or a civilian company depending on the objector's personal beliefs. Civilian alternative jobs include conservation, dealing with elderly or the young, education or health care.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep all correspondence, logs of conversations from Selective Service relating to objection to war.