Historically the development has followed along these lines:

1860-63 The Adventist Church begins to organize in North America 

1881   James White’s editorial in the Review “The Nation” where he says, “The fourth precept of that law says ‘Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy’, the sixth says ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ But in the case of drafting the government assumes the responsibility of the violation of law of God, and it would madness to resist.” (August 2, 1862, vol. 20, page 84) 

1864 Adventist leaders appeal successfully to the Governor of Michigan and receive recognition as being conscientiously opposed to the bearing of arms. Similar letters to the governors of Wisconsin, Illinois and Pennsylvania are sent and received with approval. 

1886   Ellen G. White, while visiting Switzerland, commends several men who must do their military time in the Swiss Army. While she comments on their regimental ribbons and uniforms, she makes no remarks about weapons use. (Letter 23, 1886) 

1918   President Woodrow Wilson issues an executive order allowing for religious conscientious objectors to serve in the U. S. military. 

July...the General Conference authorizes $30,000 to construct barracks and begin training of non-combatants at Loma Linda and the Washington Sanitarium for pre-induction training in the medical corps. 

1950   Dr. Everett Dick begins the Medical Cadet Corps at Union College. 

1953   U. S. Army begins Operation Whitecoat (1953-1973) where nearly 2500 Adventist young men volunteer as human subjects in medical preventive medicine studies. 

1954   The Annual Council states that the official position of the church is non-combatant. The National Service Organization is begun to work with military Adventist personnel. 

1969   Annual Council (October 12) reaffirms the statements of 1954 then goes on to change the wording to “the church advocates non-combatancy, but allows members to elect to be pacifists as well. 

1972   Annual Council affirms the statements of 1954 and 1969, but makes the decision a personal matter for each member. This leaves the decision up to the individual with strong encouragement from the denomination to consider the historical position of non-combatancy but leaves the door open to those who elect to train with or carry arms. 

Thus, it is seen that the first statements were modified from a pure combatant stance, when drafted into service, to a non-combatant position to a non-combatant recommendation without a church requirement to be a non-combatant. Careful examination of the dates helps explain the changes. Initially, during the Civil War, the Adventist Church was struggling with many issues of identity and theology. There was some confusion and much discussion. The refined decision was to serve honorably in the military, but to do so as non-combatants.

 That remained in place until 1969. What happened then? The U. S. was involved in Vietnam, and only those individuals who could show religious backing for their pacifism would be released to alternate duty. Since the Adventist church’s stance was non-combatancy (serving without weapons) any Adventist drafted who claimed to be a pacifist was denied that status because the stance was at variance with the church’s stated policy. Hence the 1969 change to allow for pacifism as a choice while encouraging members to serve as non-combatants. When members are allowed to select how they shall serve, they may also elect to serve being trained with weapons and as combatants, although that is not the recommended type of service.

 This remains as the church’s stance today. The Seventh-day Adventist Church advocates that members serve in the military as non-combatants, but accepts those who elect to serve in other capacities or not to serve at all--according to the conscience of the individual member. The church, therefore, ceased being the conscience of the individual and began a process of informing the individual in order for them to make individual decisions for which they are personally responsible. 

It must also be recognized that in the initial stages of the church organization all Adventists lived in the Northeastern part of the United States. That has changed into a 12 million membership spread around the globe. In some nations it is not an option to serve as a non-combatant and it would be impossible for the church to mandate that members there serve in that capacity. Thus the current recommendation (not requirement) for non-combatant service. 

BY U. S. and international law, all military chaplains and physicians are non-combatants, and medical aid personnel can carry weapons to protect their patients if they elect to do so. Some medics serve without bearing arms of any kind. The most famous of these is, of course, Desmond Doss, who won the Congressional Medal of Honor for service on Okinawa as a combat medic who saved the lives of over 70 of his unit who were wounded in one action. He remains as the only CMH winner who won that honor as a non-combatant.