While only a handful have gone public, several hundred US soldiers have
applied for conscientious objector (CO) status since January, according to
the Center on Conscience and War (CCW). "The bare minimum is several
hundred, and this number only includes the ones that have come to my group
and to groups we're associated with," said CCW's J.E. McNeil. "There will
be others who will have gone through different channels, and some people do
it on their own."

Only a small percentage of people who apply receive a CO discharge.
Military statistics lag by about one year, and rulings on applications can
take up to two years, so the exact number of COs in the present war will
not be known for some time. Military figures also do not count applications
from servicemen who are absent without leave, so they will not include
Stephen Funk, a Marine reserve who publicly declared himself a CO and
reported back to his California military base April 1. Funk, 20, said he
realized that he was against war during his training, which included having
to bayonet human-shaped dummies while shouting, "kill, kill!"

Funk has become an international symbol of war resistance. Says Aimee
Allison, a CO from the 1991 Gulf War who has been supporting Funk: "Since
Stephen went public, some people from Yesh Gvul [the Israeli CO movement]
have contacted me to pledge their support for Stephen and to show
solidarity and to thank him for making a stand."

The military granted 111 COs from the army in Operation Desert Storm before
putting a stop to the practice, resulting in 2,500 soldiers being sent to
prison, says CCW's Bill Gavlin. (IPS, April 15)