We’ve seen a surge in calls about conscientious objection since the conflict with Iran began.

Many service members are already navigating the application process, and a familiar pattern keeps emerging: when someone applies for conscientious objector status—especially if deployment is on the horizon—investigators question how recently they came to their beliefs.

“How long have you felt this way?”
“Can this change really be sincere?”

But here’s the question nobody seems to ask:

How much thought went into the decision to enlist?

When someone wants to leave, their sincerity is scrutinized. When someone wants to join, it rarely is.

Most applicants tell us they spent far more time wrestling with their conscientious objection than they ever did deciding to enlist. Yet only one of those decisions is treated with suspicion? Hmmm.