The Selective Service System will not accept letters of support or any material from persons attempting to establish conscientious objector claims until draft registration is resumed. Potential CO claimants will need to make arrangements for their own file of materials to be submitted when the time comes.

Statements of conscientious objection should be filed with your religious body or counseling agency if such a service is available. If this service is not available, CCW will keep your CO statement on file and will offer suggestions where appropriate to strengthen the statement.

Should draft classification be resumed, letters of support for a claim to be classified as a conscientious objector will be vital. They can be as important as the answers one gives to the questions in the CO claim. In fact, good letters of support could be a deciding factor when a CO claim is considered. It would be much more difficult for a draft board to maintain that a person is insincere if there are several supporting letters from respected individuals stating otherwise. The writers of these letters may be people you choose later to be witnesses at the hearing of your claim before the draft board.

Choose references carefully. They should be people who know you well, are familiar with the position you are taking, and believe in your sincerity. Try to get a good cross-section of people who know you -- teachers, relatives, classmates, friends. It is not necessary that a person writing a letter agree with your beliefs. The best letters are often written by persons who disagree with the CO position but believe in your sincerity. Try to obtain letters from people who have known you for various lengths of time. Some people, such as recent friends, can attest to the strength of your present beliefs. Others, such as parents, ministers or teachers, can attest to the length of time you have held your beliefs, even if you have less contact with these people now. Any statements your references can make verifying the sincerity or strength of your beliefs would be significant.

A member of your family, a religious leader whose guidance has meant much to you, a roommate, a teacher, an employer - anyone who knows you and can speak to the following points would make a good reference. They can help you most by answering in their letters the following questions:

1. What is your relationship with the applicant, and how long have you known him/her?
2. Do you believe that the applicant is sincere in his/her claim as a conscientious objector?
3. To the best of your knowledge, has the applicant's conduct since arriving at this belief been consistent with the claim being made?
4. Do you believe the applicant's claim is based on deeply-held moral, ethical or religious beliefs, however broadly defined? If possible, give examples of influences or training in the life of the applicant which you think might have led to the development of his or her beliefs.

Each reference should be given a brief statement of your position, in which you try to answer any questions the person may have about your position or the CO position in general and why you are filing a CO claim during a time of a standby draft. You may want to include one of the many brochures available from CCW which answer questions and dispels some of the misconceptions people have about conscientious objector beliefs as recognized by law. Fully explain the four points you have asked the reference to address. The more specific a letter of support can be, the more attention it will receive. A personal letter which includes details that demonstrate the claimant's convictions is usually more convincing than a general, impersonal one.

You, of course, are responsible to see that references listed on your claim are contacted and that the letters of support are filed with your claim. It would be best if letters could be collected and filed with your claim, but additional letters and other helpful materials, like term papers or speeches in which you include your CO beliefs, can be added at any time.

Try to obtain three or four good letters now and a similar number if and when individual Selective Service classification resumes. These letters should be approximately one page in length, typed or clearly written, and addressed, "To Whom it May Concern." The person writing a letter of support should include your name, address, and Selective Service number. Request that all letters be sent to you rather than the local board. If you receive a letter that is vague, inaccurate or doesn't speak to the four points listed earlier, do not include it in your file. It might prove detrimental.

Above all, keep copies of everything you put in your file. When you send materials through the mail, you may want to use Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested (be sure to keep the receipt), so you will know the materials were received.

For help in filing your conscientious objector statement with your religious body, counseling agency or CCW, ask for CCW's worksheet . For further details about the processing of CO claims, ask for Conscientious Objectors and the Draft. For this and other information, contact the Center on Conscience & War.