Conscientious objector status in the US is controlled by your local draft board, although there may also be an appeals process that I don't know about. It may also have changed since the last time I checked (during the start of the Gulf War).
Essentially, what you have to do is prove that for religious or ethical reasons, you are a pacifist. You need to be able to prove that you object to war in general, not this one specifically, or even to what are called "unjust wars". You should also present evidence and/or affidavits from family, community leaders, psychologists, or clergy that state this fact. If you are a Quaker (or a member of another strenuously anti-violent religious sect), or have a long-standing membership in anti-war (or at least humanitarian) organizations, this will greatly help your case. Your willingness to undertake alternate forms of service (e.g. as a medic) may or may not affect the decision of the draft board.
You must also be able to clearly distinguish himself from someone merely trying to avoid military service for reason of cowardice or to avoid inconvenience. A good test of your resolve is whether you would go to jail rather than join the army, if no CO provision were currently in place.
It is important to consider that if this may be an option you wish to take in the future, you begin assembling a file now, rather than if/when the draft actually becomes an issue.
It is important to note, however, that despite some rumblings among the dimmer members of Congress, it is unlikely that the draft will be instituted. If it begins to look more likely, I will see if I can contact some of the people who took this route during the Vietnam conflict, to get their advice on specifics. |
