Assignment

Each Service has its own policy about holding people in their units pending final decisions on their cases detailed in the regulations. All Services will place you on duties that provide "minimum conflict" with your beliefs. You should be placed on this duty as soon as you submit your application.

Normally this means you'll be put to work as a clerk or warehouse worker or continue to train--except in the study, use, or handling of weapons. You might also be assigned to do nothing, either as a way of harassing you or because there just isn't any suitable assignment for you.

There is some question as to just what duties in the military "conflict as little as possible" with CO beliefs. The Department of Defense maintains that "service aboard an armed ship or aircraft or in a combat zone shall not be considered to be combatant duty unless the individual involved is personally and directly involved in the operation of weapons." (DoD Dir. 1300.6, III, (C) (4)) In the Coast Guard, you can still be ordered to use a handgun.

Sometimes a CO is mistakenly--or even purposely--not put on noncombatant status, or is ordered to pick up a weapon. If this happens to you, ask immediately to talk to a legal officer and contact your counselor. Your counselor will contact your command and negotiate a different assignment. If your commander remains inflexible, it may be necessary to file a complaint.

If you do not have time to contact your counselor and your conscience cannot allow you to obey an order, explain that you believe the order is illegal and that you are not required to obey an illegal order. This could result with you're being charged with disobeying an order and you'll have to convince a court-martial that the orders were illegal. See Resisting the Military.

Go to next page