More soldiers are applying for conscientious objector status today than four years ago, but the numbers still remain small.

A conscientious objector is a person, having seen the reality of combat, who has a change of heart and seeks to be removed from the violence.

In 2004, three times as many soldiers applied for conscientious objector status as in 2001. Sixty-seven soldiers applied – of those, 33 were approved, the most since 1990, United States Army spokeswoman Martha Rudd said.

There are two types of objectors, Rudd said. The first type hopes to leave the Army completely, while the second hopes to be placed into a non-combat area. Becoming a medic is a common transition for the latter type.

Normally, a recruit would not join the Army if they were likely to object to combat, and for this reason conscientious objection is rare, Rudd said. If it does happen, the Army considers each case individually.

For a soldier’s objector status to be viewed as credible, it is important they have a reference to support their claim, Rudd said. Letters home demonstrating their displeasure or a minister from church the soldier counseled with are just two examples of references the Army accepts.

For those faking it and just tired of the service, an interview with a chaplain determines the sincerity of a soldier’s convictions.

Rudd said the chaplains are often able to discern sincerity within the opening minutes of an interview.

The Army understands how a young man or woman may change, said Steve Cordell, U.S. Army public affairs specialist.

Denied conscientious objectors remain in the Army and often fight just as hard as others, said NIU ROTC program Capt. Dale Burbank.

What most often causes people to fight is the safety of fellow soldiers, with less concern for personal safety because they feel other soldiers are protecting them, Burbank said.

Once integrated into a unit, and once he or she personally knows his compatriots, they would be compelled to fight, he said.