USAREC, Southern California Battalion

Who We Serve

The battalion is comprised of seven recruiting companies and 38 stations covering more than 40,000 square miles of Southern California terrain.

The battalion’s area of responsibility runs from the International Border with Mexico at the south to the San Bernardino Mountains in the north, including the National Training Center.  The western border is the Pacific Ocean and the eastern demarcation lines are shared with the state’s Nevada and Arizona borders.

Recruiters are the heart of the Southern California Recruiting Battalion.  Through their efforts, the Army continues to maintain its fighting strength by receiving bright, well-motivated men and women who join the Army to train and serve our great nation.

Mission Statement

The Southern California Army Recruiting Battalion, “Pistoleros” Battalion, contributes to Army Readiness by recruiting qualified individuals into the U.S. Army as Active Duty and Reserve Soldiers. We will accomplish our assigned task by operating with focus and a sense of urgency, and by harnessing our team’s unique skills and diversity. We will maintain a high level of unit pride, morale and teamwork while providing world-class leadership and care of our Soldiers, Civilians and families.

Pistoleros Battalion Priorities

Our three priorities are: Take Care of Our Teammates, Develop Our Team, and Accomplish Our Mission. Taking care of people and training/developing our team will enable mission accomplishment. We expect our teammates to live the Army values with discipline and accountability.

We will Take Care of our Teammates by fostering a safe and positive climate, and by treating each other, and the public, with dignity and respect every day. We will be Positively Intrusive Leaders and take care of Soldiers, Civilian Teammates, Families/Support Networks by intervening early when issues arise (goal is to be preventative). We will enforce Standards, Discipline, and Accountability. We will be positive, have fun, and regularly reinforce the meaningful work that our Soldiers and Civilians are doing.

We will Develop our Team to be competitive team players who take pride in themselves and their service. We will coach, mentor and train our Soldiers and Civilian Teammates to reach their full potential. We will take complete ownership and contribute our skills and abilities to achieve the mission.

We will Accomplish Our Mission by operating with a sense of urgency daily, and by reducing distractions that do not lead to results, readiness, or resilience. We will ensure we adequately equip our teammates with support/resource to execute their assigned mission, and ensure all our teammates support the mission. We will develop strong networks and work with our community partners to share the Army’s story. We will be walking billboards and demonstrate the prestige and opportunities the Army has to offer.

The U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion Southern California is headquartered in Mission Viejo, California. The Officers, Soldiers, and Civilians who are the soul of the battalion are dedicated to providing qualified young men and women for service in the Active Army and Army Reserve.

Santa Ana Recruiting Main Station was the official name from 1972, deriving its name from the city of Santa Ana, its initial location. The unit was formed during an expansion of the recruiting command to 60 RMSs with the institution of the All-Volunteer Army in 1972. It was re-designated Santa Ana District Recruiting Command on 1 May 1974. The headquarters moved from Santa Ana to Laguna Niguel in December 1976. As part of a USAREC-wide realignment designed to move USAREC closer to the mainstream Army, region and district recruiting commands became brigades and battalions respectively, and on 1 October 1983, the name changed to U.S. Army Santa Ana Recruiting Battalion.

In November 1989, the battalion headquarters moved to its present location in Mission Viejo. The battalion changed its name in October 1995 to its current designation, the U.S. Army Southern California Recruiting Battalion.

Today, the battalion is comprised of seven recruiting companies, 34 centers, and two Forward Engagement Centers covering more than 37,000 square miles of Southern California terrain.

The battalion’s area of responsibility runs from the International Border with Mexico at the south to the San Bernardino Mountains in the north, including the National Training Center. The western border is the Pacific Ocean, and the eastern demarcation lines are shared with the state’s Nevada and Arizona borders.

Recruiters are the heart of the Southern California Recruiting Battalion. Through their efforts, the Army continues to maintain its fighting strength by receiving bright, well-motivated men and women who join the Army to train and serve our great nation.

The Battalion headquarters is located in the City of Mission Viejo, California, at 27401 Los Altos, Suite 330, at the intersection of Crown Valley Parkway and Los Altos. Interstate 5 runs north and south of the battalion. The headquarters is located on the Third Floor of the Mission Heritage Center.

The Southern California Recruiting Battalion is located in the lovely city of Mission Viejo. The headquarters (HQ) is located approximately 40 miles south of Los Angeles, 80 miles north of San Diego, 10 miles east of the Pacific Ocean, and is central to all 6 of our Company Command Groups (CCGs). 

Although one of the most beautiful spots in the United States, it does cost a lot to live here. We want you to be prepared and to understand you will pay more for every necessity, from food, clothing, and housing to childcare and family recreation. Even though the Army BHA rates are significantly higher here than in some other parts of the country, they do not wholly compensate for the extremely high cost of living you will find here. 

Our Command Climate is one of great leadership, caring, and respect. Making sure Soldiers, Families, and Civilians are taken care of is one of the highest priorities here. The Battalion Command Group is actively involved in and supports the Family Readiness Groups (FRGs), and we extend a sincere invitation for you to become involved too.

The territory of the SoCal Battalion includes the counties of Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Imperial.

If we can do anything to assist you in your transition, please do not hesitate to contact your assigned Sponsor, BN S-1 at 949-367-1155 or the BN Soldier and Family Assistance Program Manager at 949-367-1858.