When To Apply

By the time you read this, you may already have decided to apply for CO status. If you haven't, there's one rule you should keep in mind: Apply when you are sure of your beliefs against participating in war. However, if you are early in your first enlistment you may want to submit your claim before the six moth anniversary of your enlistment. You may be eligible for an Entry Level Separation, which will be processed more quickly but will make you ineligible for many benefits. (See Other Discharges.)

You can present a convincing case if you're sure in your own mind that applying for CO status is what you must do. That doesn't mean you have to work out answers to every possible question before you apply, or that you have to be so sure you feel you'll never change. But it does mean that--no matter how long you've been in the military--you need to think long and hard about your beliefs before you apply.

But once you've decided, don't waste time. Get your claim ready, and file it. You'll probably find that your beliefs become more clear to you as you prepare your application. Many COs do.

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