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The U.S. Army Recruiting Command was activated Oct. 1, 1964, at Fort Monroe, Va., marking the beginning of a new era in Army recruiting.Recruiting, however, was not a new function. Recruiting for the U.S. Army began in 1776 with the raising and training of Continental soldiers to fight in the Revolutionary War. The U.S. Army Recruiting Command traces its history back to 1822, when the General Recruiting Service was started.
Volunteerism is the backbone of the U.S. Army.
The only time conscription completely replaced volunteerism was during the latter part of World War II. Recruiting was re-established in August 1945 under the direction of the Army Adjutant General’s Office.
A 1962 reorganization of the Army transferred the recruiting, examining, induction and processing responsibilities within the continental United States to the Commanding General, Continental Army Command (CONARC).
Under the U.S. Army Recruiting Service, recruiting was divided among the six Continental U.S. Armies (CONUSAs), with each Army responsible for recruiting within its geographic boundaries.
The first recruiting stations, called rendezvous, were opened in New York, Baltimore and Philadelphia. Today, stations are located in every major metropolitan area in the United States, as well as in hometowns across the country. Recruiters then and now perform the same task: looking for quality young people to serve their country in America’s Army.
In December 1963, the Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel appointed a committee to study recruiting. The committee recommended that recruiting responsibility be withdrawn from the Continental Armies and centralized under the Continental Army Command (CONARC).
Thus, the present U.S. Army Recruiting Command was formed Oct. 1, 1964, at Fort Monroe, Va., as a subordinate element of CONARC. Recruiting Command was authorized 23 officers, one warrant officer, 18 enlisted personnel and 50 civilian employees, for a total of 92 at its headquarters.
The new command was organized into six Recruiting Districts, which mirrored the six Continental Armies’ structure.
The Recruiting Districts (the equivalents of today’s Recruiting Brigades) were as follows: First Recruiting District in New York City, Second Recruiting District at Fort Meade, Md., Third Recruiting District at Fort McPherson, Ga., Fourth Recruiting District at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, Fifth Recruiting District in Chicago, and Sixth Recruiting District at the Presidio of San Francisco. The Continental Armies continued to provide administrative and logistical support to the Recruiting Districts.
The Recruiting Districts were organized into Recruiting Main Stations (today’s Recruiting Battalions) and were responsible for the Armed Forces Examining Stations, Armed Forces Induction Stations, and joint U.S. Army-U.S. Air Force Joint Processing Units within their boundaries.
The Recruiting Command was reorganized July 1, 1965.
One element of the reorganization was consolidation of the First and Second Recruiting Districts as the First Recruiting District at Fort Meade.
The Armed Forces Examining and Entrance Stations were removed from the Recruiting Main Stations, and placed directly under the control of the Recruiting Districts.
The command at this time was composed of five Recruiting Districts, 38 Recruiting Main Stations, 70 Armed Forces Examining and Entrance Stations, and 1,024 recruiting stations located within the boundaries of the continental United States. The Command had a total of 5,055 military and civilian personnel assigned to it.
Effective July 1, 1966, Recruiting Command was transferred from the Continental Army Command and placed under the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, Department of the Army.
The command now had the responsibility of recruiting for the active Army in the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico, and running the nationwide network of Armed Forces Examining and Entrance Stations. The command’s authorized recruiter strength was raised from 1,750 to 2,200. The command had a total of 8,300 military and civilian personnel. The command moved to facilities at an old Nike site at Fox Hill, Va., and then in 1968 moved into leased office space in Hampton, Va.
By December 1972, the last draftee had entered the Army and, in July 1973, USAREC began recruiting an all-volunteer Army.
July 15, 1973, the headquarters moved from Hampton, Va., to Fort Sheridan, Ill., to gain more space for its expanded mission. The number of Recruiting Main Stations grew from 40 to 64.
In late 1973, in order to improve the chain of command structure, captains began to be introduced into the chain of command between the Recruiting Main Stations and the Recruiting Stations. The master sergeants who had previously served as Area Commanders became Assistant Area Commanders.
In 1974, the five numbered Recruiting Districts were redesignated as Regional Recruiting Commands. There was the Northeast Regional Recruiting Command at Fort Meade, the Southeast Regional Recruiting Command at Fort Gillem, Ga., the Midwest Regional Recruiting Command at Fort Sheridan, the Southwest Regional Recruiting Command at Fort Sam Houston, and the Western Regional Recruiting Command at Fort Baker, Calif.
The Recruiting Main Stations were redesignated as District Recruiting Commands.
The Military Enlistment Processing Command (now the Military Entrance Processing Command) was established as a subordinate element of Recruiting Command at Fort Sheridan July 1, 1976.
Responsibility for the processing of volunteers and draftees was transferred from Recruiting Command to the new command.
USAREC began recruiting for the Army Reserve in 1978.
MEPCOM became an independent command Oct. 1, 1979.
In October 1983, Recruiting Command’s subordinate units’ designations were changed one last time.
The Regional Recruiting Commands were designated as numbered Recruiting Brigades, with 1st Brigade at Fort Meade, 2d Brigade at Fort Gillem, 4th Brigade at Fort Sheridan, 5th Brigade at Fort Sam Houston, and 6th Brigade at Fort Baker.
The District Recruiting Commands were redesignated as Recruiting Battalions.
The USAREC headquarters was relocated from Fort Sheridan to Fort Knox, Ky., in 1992 as a result of base realignment and closure studies.
The 4th Recruiting Brigade was deactivated July 2, 1992. Its territory was divided among 1st, 2d and 5th Brigades. The number of Recruiting Battalions was reduced to its current 41.
The 3d Recruiting Brigade was activated Oct. 1, 1994, and assumed much of the territory that had been previously assigned to the 4th Recruiting Brigade.
The Army Medical Department Officer Procurement Division and the medical specialty recruiting missions moved from the Office of the Surgeon General to USAREC in 1995.
On Feb. 15, 2002, the U.S. Army established the U.S. Army Accessions Command, a subordinate command of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command headquartered at Fort Monroe, Va. USAAC is charged with providing integrated command and control of recruiting and initial military training for officer, warrant officer and enlisted forces.
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