Advice to Conscientious Objectors Facing Draft Registration

징병 등록을 맞이하는 양심적 거부자들을 위한 조언

Before you register:

• Read the information below.
• Seek out a qualified draft counselor, attorney, or draft counseling agency.
• Consider your options.

• 아래의 정보를 읽어 보라
• 자격있는 징병 상담원, 변호사 또는 징병 상담 기관을 찾으라.
• 당신의 선택사항들을 고려하라

If you decide to register:

• Find a post office for your registration that has an accessible photocopier.
• Print in legible black ink accross the middle of the registration form: I AM A CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR TO WAR IN ANY FORM. This is not a classification, but it may help you later to document your position as a CO.
• Make a photocopy of your registration form for your own records before you submit it to the postal worker for date stamp and initials.
• Bearing in mind that no actual draft is at all likely, it is up to you whether to put a complete statement of your conscientious objector beliefs on file with your religious body, CCW, or any other counseling agency. Such a statement would be helpful in qualifying for the U.S. Peace Tax Fund should it become law.

• 등록을 위하여 사진복사기가 사용가능한 우체국을 찾으라
• 식별가능한 검은 잉크로 징병 등록 서식의 가운데를 가로질러서 기록하라: 나는 모든 형태의 전쟁에 대한 양심적 거부자입니다. 이것은 분류가 아니다, 그러나 추후에 CO로서 당신의 위치를 문서화함에 도움을 줄 것이다. 
• 날자 소인과 이니셜을 위해 우체국 근무자에게 제출하기 전에 당신의 기록을 담은 당신의 등록 서식을 사진복사하라.
• 실제적 징병이 전혀 가능하지 않다는 것, 당신의 종교 단체나 기타 어떤 상담 기관과 함께하는 파일에 당신의 양심적 거부자 믿음들에 대한 완전한 선언을 만들어 두는 것은 당신에게 달려있음을 염두에 두라. 그러한 선언은 [미합중국 평화세 기금]이 법률화된다면, 이를 위하여 적절한 도움이 될 것이다. 

Conscientious Objectors and Draft Registration

All men residing in the United States who were born on or after January 1, 1963 are required to register for the draft within 30 days of their 18th birthday, unless they are aliens who are in the U.S. on temporary visas. The penalty for failing to register can be up to five years in jail and/or a fine of up to $250,000. Women might be required to register in the future.

Under the emergency mobilization system, only registration takes place until a national defense emergency is declared and Congress restores the President's induction authority. Classifications such as hardship and conscientious objection are not assigned until after the registrant receives an induction notice. Once the mobilization draft begins, unless the inductee claims a classification other than 1-A, Available for Military Service, within 10 days of the induction notice, the registrant must report to the designated Military Entrance Processing Station for testing and induction. The Department of Defense will delay inductions for six months.

When a conscientious objector registers, he (male only, so far) should note somewhere on the registration form that by reason of his training and belief, he is conscientiously opposed to participation in war in any form, and he should make a photocopy of the card before surrendering it to the postal worker. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT SELECTIVE SERVICE WILL TAKE NOTE OF HIS BELIEFS NOW. Selective Service destroys the original registration cards after they are microfilmed, and conscientious objectors who have placed any such notice on the registration card will still have to request the CO classification if they receive induction notices. The initial claim is made on Form 9, and the claim is documented on Form 22.

In the unlikely event of a draft, COs should have prepared in advance a file which documents their beliefs. Include in this file, at least, the photocopy of the registration card, a comprehensive statement of beliefs, and letters of support for this statement. Such evidence can be presented to the local board who will hear the claim for a CO classification. Compiling this file should be done with supervision from a qualified draft counselor or agency such as CCW.

Hundreds of thousands of men have refused to register, despite the threat of possible prosecution. Twenty, a very small percentage, have been prosecuted. (There have been no more prosecutions since 1985.) Many churches have supported nonregistration as a valid conscientious response to the registration requirement. Non-registrants should be prepared to be
prosecuted, and if indicted should quickly find an attorney who is familiar with draft law. Even without prosecution, nonregistrants will automatically forego certain government student aid, training and employment possibilities. Several states bar non-registrants from attending state colleges and universities.

After registration, Selective Service will send a "registration acknowledgement" letter, which repeats the information the registrant gave on the form and supplies a Selective Service Number. If any of the information is incorrect, the registrant may return the accompanying Form 3B to correct any mistakes. This letter, Form 3A, can be retained by the registrant as proof of his registration.

Please contact the Center on Conscience & War with any questions regarding registration and conscientious objection that have not been answered on this website.