A description of the nature of the belief that requires the person to seek separation from the military service or assignment to noncombatant training and duty for reasons of conscience.

I can no longer take part in the U.S. Army or in any other branch of the military. If I willingly continue to participate in the killing of humans, I would never be able to forgive myself. I am on this planet to serve others, not to kill, or directly OR INDIRECTLY support the action of doing so. Even administrative or cooking jobs contribute in the mission of killing. AND I CAN NO LONGER TAKE PART IN THESE JOBS EITHER.

I believe that each human's life is incredibly valuable. I feel called not only to help those in need, but also to bring Jesus Christ into their lives. War goes against everyting I believe in and stand for. Those not concerned with maintaining America's freedom, and even those opposed to it are still valuable not only in my eyes, but also in my Savior's.

An explanation as to how his or her beliefs changed or developed, to include an explanation as to what factors (how, when, and from whom or from what source training received and belief acquired) caused the change in or development of conscientious objection beliefs.

I began to search for a way to pay for college at Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) after receiving an acceptance letter during my senior year of high school. I joined the United States Army Reserve when I was 17-years old. I was never thrilled about joining an organization whose main priority is defense through force, but when I was presented with Water Treatment as an option for my MOS, I accepted. I believed it would be an opportunity to help people while simultaneously taking some of the financial burden that comes with paying for college off of my father.

My beliefs developed and then solidified during this summer's Annual Training (AT), when I took a Combat Lifesaver course. After the second day of class, our company commander summoned us into his tent to view a slideshow comprised of pictures he had taken during his previous deployment.

It was appalling.

There were pictures of smal children with shrapnel wounds all over their bodies. There were human beings with their intestines piled on top of their abdomens. Human remains were scattered across streets. Burned bodies of mothers, fathers, sons and daughters flashed before my eyes.

I fought back tears and tried to justify these images. Perhaps these dead and wounded children asked for this inhuman treatment; maybe they volunteered to place a bomb on an American vehicle. What if they took a shot at a soldier? I struggled to believe these children may have possibly deserved to be run over, decapitated, blown up, or shot, but I could not. Were they not just impressionable children? And weren't the grown men and women not only loved and treasured by their parents and family members, but also by Jesus Christ?

Our beliefs may be different from those of other people; we may not share the same values but I honestly believe with every inch of my being that any given human is worth just as much as any American, African, Canadian, Mexican, Scot or Indian, or any other nationality. Who am I to take away their lives, or support in doing so? I knew that my being in the military and performing any MOS would be directly supporting the mission of killing. I love my country, but I can not take part in killing in any circumstance. My claim is not just a philosophy, nor is it solely based on the fact that my church (the Church of the Nazarene), has supported conscientious objection to the war since 1940. I can not kill because this is my personal conviction.

After the slide show, our commander, Cpt. Hanna, explained why he had showed us the pictures. He wanted to make sure we knew what we were getting into as Combat Lifesavers, and for everyone to know why they were doing it. I was standing in the back of the tent, thankfully, and was the first to leave when he dismissed us. I let the tears flow as I walked out under the full moon.

I walked behind the female's tent and sat down cross-legged on a patch of dried mud. Without much thought, I place Brutus III (my assigned M-16) across my lap. I looked up at the moon and silently cried out a prayer to God. I was suddenly struck with a realization that would soon change my life. The hunk of steel and plastic lying across my lap was not a toy, or a tool just used for fun recreational hobbies. Until then, it had just been an inconvenience and another 'sensitive item' I would be punished for losing. What I had failed to realize was that the M-16 I had been carrying around was a symbol of everything I was, in the depth of my conscience, really against. The dead and injured in Capt. Hanna's slideshow were victims of war, and soldiers like me were responsible for war.

On June 20, 2005, I discovered that I could never take a human being's life to save my own or even another's. I would give up all of my comforts; even my own life to help others, but I will never take someone's life NOR TAKE PART IN ANY WAY IN THE PROCESS.

An explanation as to what in the person's life most conspicuously demonstrates the consistency adn depth of his or her beliefs that gave rise to his or her claim.

My life has change course since my moment of realization on June 20, 2005. I have always felt called to become a missionary and share the love of Jesus Christ, but did not ever know for sure if that was what I should become. When I prayed after the slideshow, I received a feeling of peace and assurance. I knew God was with me, and that His love did not stop with me, but that His love was all encompassing and infinite.

After many prayers and some counsel with two strong Christians, I knew that God was assigning me to become a missionary to do His work. From that moment on, I began to prepar. I declared sociology as a major at PLNU in order to obtain a broader view and a better understanding of cultures different from my own. Unfortunately, before I could finish my classes, I was informed of my mobilizationand eventual deployment to Iraq. I withdrew from Point Loma, but plan on returning as soon as possible to continue my mission.

I do not expect life to go smoothly just because I am following God's plan, but I can promise that I will strive to glorify God in all that I do, and through my actions, despite any opposing circumstances. Wherever I go, I want people to recognize the Holy Spirit inside of me, and if they do not already have Jesus in their heart, I pray for opportunity to share HIM with them.