United States Military Entrance Processing Command

HQ USMEPCOM Building 3400 Great Lakes Naval Training Center 2834 Green Bay Road North Chicago, IL, 60064-3094 Phone: 847-688-3680 DSN: 792-3680

The United States Military Entrance Processing Command is the vital link between recruiting and training today's Armed Forces. The command's motto, "Freedom's Front Door", symbolizes the command's mission of determining the physical, mental, and moral qualifications of every member of the armed services. There is no other door. Knocking on and walking through "Freedom's Front Door" isn't easy. While the door is open to everyone, only qualified applicants succeed. Thousands of new service members proudly walk through that door each year to fill the ranks of our nation's Armed Forces.

USMEPCOM, with headquarters in Building 3400, Great Lakes Naval Training Center, Great Lakes (North Chicago), IL, is a joint service command under the direction of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy and is staffed by representatives of all branches of the Armed Forces. The command, through its 65 Military Entrance Processing Stations, determines whether applicants are qualified for enlistment based on standards set by each of the services. Two geographic sectors provide intermediate management in operating the MEPS. The Eastern Sector Headquarters and Western Sector Headquarters are co-located with the Command Headquarters.

"From green walls to red carpet" is an accurate description of how the examination process has evolved through the years. Reflecting the command's "Red Carpet" treatment for applicants, processing at the MEPS is tailored to the needs of today's applicants. This is a radical departure from the old practice of herding young people through a maze of examination stations in painfully drab, musty, green-walled military buildings.

Today's applicants are treated with dignity and receive a relaxed first military experience thanks to a combination of individual customer orientation and modern, efficiently designed facilities.

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, known as the ASVAB, is an integral part of the qualification process. The command administered 587,000 enlistment ASVAB tests during fiscal year 2008 at the 65 MEPS and more than 470 Military Entrance Test (MET) sites throughout the country. The ASVAB is available as a "paper and pencil" test at the MET sites and as a Computerized Adaptive Test, CAT-ASVAB at the MEPS. Either version of the ASVAB provides Basic qualification and assurance that enlistees have a strong chance of success in specific technical training and occupations.

Additionally, 641,000 high school students were tested under the Department of Defense Student ASVAB Testing Program during the 2007-08 school year. The student ASVAB provides a counseling tool for guiding students in their academic and vocational program while furnishing a "talent pool" of qualified potential enlistees to the military recruiting services.

Thorough medical examinations are used to determine applicants' physical qualifications for enlistment. In fiscal year 2008, more than 450 MEPS physicians administered 386,000 medical examinations. These examinations help ensure that applicants can meet the demanding physical challenges of basic training and military service.

Background screening of applicants is equally important to military entrance processing. It includes pre-enlistment interviews, fingerprinting, and initiating Entrance National Agency Checks.

By determining applicants' qualifications for enlistment, USMEPCOM provides military training centers with fully qualified motivated, top-notch recruits. During fiscal year 2008, 274,000 young people met those rigid standards en route to service in the armed forces. In the event of mobilization, the USMEPCOM mission would adjust to meet the requirements for induction and deployment of forces. If our national security is threatened and mobilization is required, the number of people processed would quadruple, with most individuals reporting through the Selective Service registration system.

Processing today's Armed Forces requires USMEPCOM to have a highly competent, technical, and motivated team of professionals. Each MEPS military and civilian member is a vital part of attaining the ultimate goal ...

Bringing the nation's best young people on to the country's defense team.

USMEPCOM Strategic Plan

USMEPCOM Strategic Plan 2010-2025

USMEPCOM’s Strategic Plan, along with USMEPCOM’s workforce, advances the mission and vision, providing superior service and support to the Armed Forces Recruiting Commands and the men and women who want to join the Armed Services. It presents a significant shift in thinking about how men and women are qualified for service. The mission of USMEPCOM remains the same – “Ensure the quality of military accessions during peacetime and mobilization in accordance with established standards.” What will change is the way we perform that mission. We will see the effects of this change as we implement transformational goals, strategies, and objectives driven by the Command’s vision.