QUESTIONNAIRE FOR APPLICANTS FOR STATUS AS CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS:

The purpose of this Questionnaire is to empower the reader to make important lifetime decisions about their own destiny as it concerns their current or potential military service obligation.

There has been a major change in United States military doctrine which involves the war powers of the Commander in Chief to order, without prior notification, preemptory strikes and whatever manpower acquisition is deemed necessary for the military mission. This means there needs to be a major change in the way individual citizens manage their liability to military service.

Specifically, the Selective Service Regulations have been changed to allow only 10 days for response to a draft notice for those who wish to exercise their legal right to alternative or noncombatant service. The submittal of at least five letters of substantiation and the appearance of the applicant for status as a conscientious objector before a local Selective Service System Board for questioning is now required. The burden of proof is placed on the applicant for status as a conscientious objector to show that they qualify for this status. There is no provision of appeal for the decision of the local SSS Board unless at least one member of the Board dissents.

As a consequence of these important changes and the current shortfall in military recruiting, individual citizens need to prepare the required documentation NOW to clarify their status if they wish to exercise their options for alternative or noncombatant service. Counseling is available for those who may need assistance in their preparation but there are several things which need to be done in order to get the most out of counseling.

Answering the Questionnaire will help the reader to clarify what they need to do to manage their liability to military service. This exercise will also prompt questions you may wish to discuss with a counselor. There are no fees for the counseling service.

Simply follow the instructions provided at the conclusion of the Questionnaire and mail it to Conscientious Objectors Counseling at the designated address. If you have questions about the instructions use consobjcoun@msn.com to contact a counselor. Answers are usually returned within three days although more time may be needed based on the complexity of the questions. New counselors are being trained right now so feel free to contact us if you are interested in completing the training to become a counselor.

The author of this Questionnaire gives permission to the reader to copy it and circulate it as the reader wishes.

____________________

QUESTIONNAIRE:

I am applying for status as a conscientious objector and already have obtained the necessary Selective Service System forms:
YES NO

I am requesting 1- 0 status which allows for alternative status:
YES NO

I am requesting !-A-O status which allows for noncombatant military service:
YES NO

I have religious beliefs which oppose any military service:
YES NO

I have religious beliefs which oppose any combatant military service:
YES NO

I have philosophical beliefs which oppose any military service:
YES NO

I have philosophical beliefs which oppose any combatant military service:
YES NO

I have no medical reason to claim exemption from military service:
YES NO

I am a citizen of the United States of America:
YES NO

I have registered for the United States Selective Service System:
YES NO

I will be registering for the United States Selective Service System:
YES NO

I am already serving in the United States military:
YES NO

I have already served in the United States military but fear reactivation:
YES NO

I have a United States Social Security Number:
YES NO

I have informed my parents of my objection to any military service:
YES NO

I have informed my parents of my objection to combatant military service:
YES NO

I have informed my church leaders of my objection to any military service:
YES NO

I have informed my church leaders of my objection to combatant military service:
YES NO

I have informed my teachers of my my objection to any military service:
YES NO

I have informed my teachers of my objection to any combatant military service:
YES NO

I have informed my legal counsel of my objection to any military service:
YES NO

I have informed my legal counsel of my objection to any combatant military service:
YES NO

I have provided a notarized affidavit, witnessed by two registered voters who are U.S. citizens of my intent to apply to the Selective Service System as a conscientious objector to my legal counsel:
YES NO

I have five letters of substantiation ( from parents, religious leaders, teachers, counselors and/or legal counsel ) which support my intent to apply for the Selective Service System as a conscientious objector:
YES NO

I have written a letter to my Congressional Representative in my own handwriting summarizing my beliefs and have kept a copy for my own records:
YES NO

I am prepared to answer for my beliefs during an interview conducted by the Selective Service Board in my locale:
YES NO

I have three witnesses who are prepared to testify on my behalf in support of my application as a conscientious objector:
YES NO

I am determined to appeal any denial by the local Selective Service Board of my application for status as a conscientious objector:
YES NO

I wish to have additional assistance in preparing my application for status as a conscientious objector:
YES NO

IF YOU WANT ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE AND THE CONTACT OF A COUNSELOR REGARDING THE COMPLETION OF YOUR APPLICATION FOR STATUS AS A CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR, PLEASE PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

Name:__________________ Telephone (10 digit)__________

Today's date_____________ Date of Birth:________________

County of Residence___________ State of Residence_________

Legal Signature_______________________________________

IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Make a copy of completed Questionnaire for your own permanent records.

2. Give a copy of this completed form to your parents, a religious leader, a teacher, a counselor and legal counsel.

3. Keep a permanent record of who you gave the copies to.

4. Write a letter to your Congressional Representative to notify them of your beliefs and keep a copy of the letter for your permanent records as well as a copy of any response you receive. Use your own handwriting for this letter.

5. Mail a completed copy of this form with your legal signature to:
  Conscientious Objectors Counseling
  7215 47th Ave E.
  Tacoma, WA 98443

6. Since many federal legislators, including Senator Patty Murray, now have automatic confirmations of receipt of emails, this is now a supplementary method to prove notification by the objector to the federal government. The objector can print the automatic confirmation, which will be attached to the email sent by the objector to the legislator when it is received, by the federal legislator then put this hard copy of the confirmation and the original email in a permanent file as additional proof of notification.

7. For those younger objectors who have not yet registered with the Selective Service System it is best to provide notification at the time of registration. There used to be a check- off box on the SSS registration form that the objector could use for this purpose but that check- off box has been removed from the form. The objector now needs to write on the form: " I am a conscientious objector to war based on my firmly held religious and/or philosophical convictions." Since the SSS will destroy the form the objector needs to make a copy of it and mail this copy back to himself so that it gets postmarked. The envlope with the postmark should not be opened but needs to be kept as another proof of notification to the SSS in the permanent file of the objector.

8. The email option and the preservation of the postmarked copy of the registration form are considered to be a supplement not a substitute for the conventional letter which still needs to be sent to the objector's coongressperson. Of course the older objector who has already registered will proceed as previously advised by writing the conventional letter even if an email is sent to assure a quicker turn- around of proof of notification.

9. Please refer any questions about the use of email and a handwritten note on the registration form as supplemental means of proving notification to the U.S. government to Howard Welsh.

MAY WE RENEW AND PRESERVE PEACE IN OUR LIFETIMES!