USAREC, New England Battalion

Mission Statement

The New England Recruiting Battalion builds connections in the community to reach qualified military age applicants, trains to build proficiency in recruiting operations, contacts high potential prospects to provide future enlistments, and wins each phase line mission by enlisting applicants with professionalism and integrity to provide the most qualified men and women for service in the United States Army and Army Reserve that help sustain the strength of our Nation.

Vision - We Accomplish the Mission By….

Prospecting Where and When Potential Exists

Aggressively Training to Master Both Art and Science

Taking Care of Our Teammates and Families

Recruiting With a Plan and With Passion

Integrating into Our Community and Schools

Owning Our Mission and Winning Every Phase Line

Telling Our Army Story to Build Propensity and Support

Setting and Meeting Our Recruiting Objectives

Activated at Fort Preble, Maine in October 1947 as the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force Recruiting Main Station, the Command originally consisted of five recruiting stations in Maine and one in Berlin, N.H. When Fort Preble closed in 1950 the headquarters relocated to Fort Williams, Maine, and remained there until that post also closed.

In 1962, the Main Station was moved to Portland and expanded its responsibilities to include the Bangor, Maine, and Manchester, N.H., Commands. By 1965, there were ten recruiting stations serving Maine, seven in New Hampshire and two in Vermont.

In 1967, the Command relocated to Concord, N.H. and the subordinate headquarters called Area Commands. This region consisted of 21 recruiting stations in the three states of northern New England. At that time, area commanders were Master Sergeants.

In June 1973, the Nation's "all volunteer" military was established. Within the Army, entirely new recruiting programs were initiated. These included statewide Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery testing for high school students, closer coordination with school counselors and increasing advertising expenditures.

In May 1974, the battalion was designated the Concord District Recruiting Command. It comprised three geographic areas: Area I covered Northern Maine; Area II covered Southern Maine and Area III covered N.H. and half of Vt. A total of just 53 field recruiters were assigned to the Command.

In 1976, all counties of Vt. Came under the Albany DRC and so the battalion gave up its presence in that state. In 1978, the District Commands assumed the Army Reserve mission and additional stations were opened within Concord's area of operations. In Oct. 1983, the Concord DRC was redesignated the Concord Recruiting Battalion. At that time there were 30 recruiting stations in Maine and N.H. under the command of the battalion.

In July 1987, the Concord Recruiting Battalion moved to the Naval Air Station--Brunswick (NAS) Annex, in Topsham, Maine and was renamed the Brunswick Recruiting Battalion. Assigned to the battalion were Manchester, Bangor and Portland companies, consisting of 27 stations and an Army Nurse Recruiting station.

In April, 1991, the battalion assumed responsibility for the inactivated Boston Battalion and added the Boston, North Shore and Providence recruiting companies to the formation. In 1995, the battalion was renamed the New England Army Recruiting Battalion. In Oct. 2006, the battalion deactivated Portland Company and activated South Shore Company. In June 2011, the battalion relocated its headquarters to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, due to the closing of the Naval Air Station-Brunswick.

Today, the New England Army Recruiting Battalion consists of six Companies: Maine, New Hampshire, Boston, North Shore, Rhode Island and South Shore.

We are pleased to welcome you to the New England Army Recruiting Battalion – PATRIOTS PRIDE.  Northern New England has much to see and do. We have all four seasons here, although they may vary from other locations you have lived.

Our Battalion covers all of Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and eastern Massachusetts. We have varied terrain, from eastern coastal, to inland mountains, many rivers, lakes, and streams, to transitional lowlands and plateaus.

Most interests are represented here: outdoor activities such as fishing (summer and ice); snow-related (skiing, boarding, shoeing, mobile/ATC, etc.;  water-related (surfing, boarding, and boats from kayaks to ocean cruisers); biking, running/walking, birding, hunting (shooting and bow-and-arrow); a broad spectrum of indoor and outdoor art, music, theatre, museums, summer shows, institutes, dance (professional and local volunteer), local bookstores with local authors included in their inventory, zoos, and so much more. We have broad and deep historical information and activities.  While we get some cold and snowy weather, we have temperatures up to 100 on occasion in the summer.

The 1st Recruiting Brigade, which you and your family are about to become members of, covers a region that includes northern New England. It is headquartered out of Fort Meade, Maryland and currently consists of eight battalions: Albany, Baltimore, Richmond, Harrisburg, New York City, Mid-Atlantic, Syracuse, and of course, New England.

New England Recruiting Battalion, Companies and their Station