News Articles

In alignment with Department of Defense (DoD) Instruction 5400.17 and recent Executive Orders issued by the President, USMEPCOM has reviewed and adjusted its social media content to ensure compliance with DoD policies and priorities.

As a result, certain posts have been removed, are in a process of being removed or modified to maintain consistency with federal guidance and uphold the integrity of our official communication channels. Content will be archived in accordance with DA PAM 25–403.

USMEPCOM remains committed to transparency, professionalism, and adherence to DoD directives while continuing to engage with our community in a manner that reflects our core values.

For any questions regarding social media policies, please refer to official DoD guidance available at https://www.esd.whs.mil/Directives/issuances/dodi/
(L) Dr. Liza Pilch, Milwaukee MEPS chief medical officer, works alongside Helen Smith, Milwaukee MEPS medical technician, to review applicant prescreens. Milwaukee MEPS is one of 30 MEPS in phase III of a change to the workflow of medical prescreens for military applicants.

July 29, 2024

USMEPCOM Boosts Efficiency with New Prescreen Process

HQ USMEPCOM, NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. — USMEPCOM initiated phase III of the roll-out for a new medical prescreen review July 22, expanding what launched at just six Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS) in March. With initial data indicating significant progress in reducing applicant accession timelines, the new process, which was originally launched as a pilot, is now in place at 30 MEPS and will be expanded to all MEPS through subsequent phases by the end of October.

Army Col. Frankie Cochiaosue assumed command of United States Military Entrance Processing Command (USMEPCOM) from Army Col. Megan Stallings during a Change of Command and Retirement ceremony, July 17.

July 17, 2024

USMEPCOM Welcomes New Commander

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. — Army Col. Frankie Cochiaosue assumed command of United States Military Entrance Processing Command (USMEPCOM) from Army Col. Megan Stallings during a Change of Command and Retirement ceremony, July 17.

Stephanie Miller (Right), Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy, and Col. Stallings (Left), USMEPCOM Commander, unveil the Christopher P. Arendt Memorial Auditorium plaque. USMEPCOM honored the late Christopher P. Arendt with the dedication of USMEPCOM’s auditorium bearing his name during a ceremony July 16.

July 17, 2024

Remembering Chris Arendt

HQ USMEPCOM, NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. — USMEPCOM honored the life and accomplishments of the late Christopher (Chris) Arendt, retired Navy officer and former Accession Policy deputy director, with the dedication of USMEPCOM’s auditorium bearing his name July 16.

(Center) Christian Castro, Navy applicant, poses for a photo with his parents following his Oath of Enlistment at Tampa MEPS. USMEPCOM recently released policy allowing two guests per applicant about to ship to basic training, as well as National Guard and Reserve component applicants.

July 12, 2024

USMEPCOM updates policy for Applicant Guests to the MEPS

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. — As of July 2, 2024, the applicant guest policy is as follows:1. Two-Guest Standard.  Active-Duty

USMEPCOM launched the Applicant Journey Tracker, July 9, the first ever tool to track applicants’ paths throughout their processing journey into the military.

July 11, 2024

USMEPCOM Launches Applicant Journey Tracker

HQ USMEPCOM, NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. — USMEPCOM launched the Applicant Journey Tracker, July 9, the first ever tool to track applicants’ paths throughout their processing journey into the military.

A travel assistant passes a debit card to an enlistee. USMEPCOM replaced meal checks for enlistees traveling to initial entry training with debit cards starting June 28, 2024.

June 28, 2024

USMEPCOM Phases out Meal Checks

HQ USMEPCOM, NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. — Every applicant who ships to boot camp receives a voucher to pay for food while traveling to their destination. Previously this was done by issuing a one-time use paper check to use at the airport. As of June 28, these paper checks have been replaced with debit cards, providing a modern, flexible payment option for enlistees.

Army Lt. Col. Peter Nesbitt, USMEPCOM Command Advisory Group (CAG) director, leads a discussion at a Data and Analytics Immersion Day. The forum, organized by USMEPCOM's CAG, allowed participants to engage in discussions on how the command is using data to enhance operations.

June 26, 2024

CAG Highlights Innovation and Future Plans in Immersion Day

HQ USMEPCOM, NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. — USMEPCOM’s Command Advisory Group (CAG) held a Data and Analytics Immersion Day, June 20. Throughout the day, subject matter experts presented a series of 10 topics on how the organization is using data to enhance operations.

Army Col. Megan Stallings, USMEPCOM commander, passes the Eastern Sector colors to Army. Col. Avi Grein, Eastern Sector Commander.

June 13, 2024

Army Officer Returns to Command Eastern Sector

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill — Army Col. Adam “Avi” Grein accepted command of Eastern Sector, USMEPCOM, succeeding Army Col. Janelle Kutter during a change of command and retirement ceremony June 13 at USMEPCOM headquarters in North Chicago, Ill.

Baltimore MEPS leadership and staff pose with 7B Recruiting company after conducting a successful pilot initiative. Baltimore MEPS spearheads an initiative for home school students with the first-ever event aimed at connecting home school students with a multitude of career opportunities, including those in the military by utilizing the ASVAB Career Exploration Program.

June 12, 2024

Inaugural Career Exploration Event Opens New Horizons for National Capital Region Home School Students

Alexandria, Md. — Baltimore Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS), in collaboration with various military and educational partners, has taken a significant step towards embracing underserved home school demographic within the National Capital Region (NCR).

Air Force Master Sgt. Melissa Laboy, USMEPCOM medical accessions NCOIC, provides training to Air Force Reserve Component Airmen and Army National Guard Soldiers who volunteered to serve in the USMEPCOM Prescreen Support Coordination Center (PSCC). The PSCC allows providers to review military applicant medical prescreens virtually, helping to decrease the amount of time an applicant spends in their MEPS and shortening contact-to-contract time.

June 10, 2024

ARC Airmen and NG Soldiers Train to Assist USMEPCOM with Summer Surge

HQ USMEPCOM, North Chicago, Ill. — USMEPCOM led training for incoming Air Force Reserve Component (ARC) Airmen and Army National Guard (NG) Soldiers, June 4 – 7, who will serve as prescreen and exam providers. The majority will serve on the Prescreen Support Coordination Center (PSCC), established in the summer of 2022 to tackle prescreen backlogs.