Hartford - Civil libertarians are suing the Navy on behalf of a junior officer at a Connecticut submarine base who's seeking an honorable discharge as a conscientious objector.

The American Civil Liberties Union said it filed a lawsuit in federal court in Hartford Wednesday challenging the Navy's refusal to grant the discharge to Ensign Michael Izbicki, stationed at Groton.

The ACLU says Izbicki's Christian beliefs began to conflict with his service after he graduated from the Naval Academy and began submarine training. The attorneys say Izbicki responded to a question in a required psychological exam by saying he could not launch a nuclear missile.

A Navy spokesman at Groton did not immediately comment Wednesday.

- AP