WRI's declaration not to support any kind of war is a call to refuse to serve in any military or armed forces, a call to
Desertion carries a maximum punishment of dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay, and confinement of five years. For desertion during a time of war, however, the death penalty may be applied (at the discretion of the court-martial).
Those who can prove a religious, ethical or moral opposition to all wars may apply for a discharge or transfer to a non-combat job as a conscientious objector.
All conscientious objectors are required to register. Today, all conscientious objectors are required to register with the Selective Service System. A conscientious objector is one who is opposed to serving in the armed forces and/or bearing arms on the grounds of moral or religious principles.
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service.
Most 20-year-old Australian men had to register for national service between 1965 and 1972. Servicemen conscripted under the scheme became known as 'Nashos'. Names of potential conscripts were selected by a birthday ballot, where numbered wooden marbles were drawn by lottery from a barrel.
Full conscription of men
Conscientious objectors had to appear before a tribunal to argue their reasons for refusing to join-up. If their cases were not dismissed, they were granted one of several categories of exemption, and were given non-combatant jobs.
If required to register with Selective Service, failure to register is a felony punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and/or 5 years imprisonment. Also, a person who knowingly counsels, aids, or abets another to fail to comply with the registration requirement is subject to the same penalties.
Those men were offered amnesty by President Gerald Ford in 1974 and pardoned by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. Failing to register for the draft or join the military as directed is a felony punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 or a prison term of up to five years, or a combination of both.
War often results in the deaths of soldiers and sometimes civilians. This can be seen as going against the Natural Law of God. According to the Bible, 'God created man in His own image' (Genesis 1:27), meaning that the life of every individual is sanctified by God and only God can end the life that he has created.
Conscientious objection to military service refers to the position taken by individuals who oppose participation in war on the basis of their religious, moral, or ethical beliefs.
The Constitution grants Congress the sole power to declare war. Congress has declared war on 11 occasions, including its first declaration of war with Great Britain in 1812. Congress approved its last formal declaration of war during World War II.
Military conscription for peacetime service was abolished in 1972. However, in times of war, the Defence Act 1903 allows the Governor-General of Australia to authorise conscription for service in the Defence Force, provided it is approved by the Parliament of Australia within 90 days.
Present - The U.S. currently operates under an all-volunteer armed forces policy. All male citizens between the ages of 18 and 26 are required to register for the draft and are liable for training and service until the age of 35.
Current DOD accession policy lists ADHD as disqualifying for military applicants if they meet any of the following conditions: ADHD medication prescribed in the previous 24 months, an educational plan or work accommodation after age 14, a history of comorbid mental health disorders, or documentation of adverse academic ...
Draft avoidance
Claiming conscientious objector status on the basis of sincerely held religious or ethical beliefs. Claiming a student deferment, when one is in school primarily in order to study and learn. Claiming a medical or psychological problem, if the purported health issue is genuine and serious.
According to the Department of Defense's 2018 Medical Standards for Military Service: Appointment, Enlistment, or Induction, people who have asthma beyond their 13th birthday are disqualified from joining the military services.
Poor vision typically will not limit your ability to serve in the U.S. Military, so long as your vision problem can be suitably corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses or vision correction surgery.
Military positions are exempted from the protections of the Rehabilitation Act and the Army and Air Force medical standards for enlistment state that diabetes is disqualifying.
According to the U.S. Air Force Medical Standards Directory, Autism Spectrum Disorder is not disqualifying for continued military service unless it is currently--or has a history of--compromising military duty or training.
The Second World War was the first time Australians were conscripted to fight overseas. In November 1939 Prime Minister Robert Menzies announced that the existing reserve force, the Citizen Military Forces (CMF) or militia, would be bolstered by conscription.
The Draft and WWII
On September 16, 1940, the United States instituted the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, which required all men between the ages of 21 and 45 to register for the draft.
Carton de Wiart served in the Boer War, World War One and World War Two. In the process he was shot in the face, losing his left eye, and was also shot through the skull, hip, leg, ankle and ear.