USAREC, Great Lakes Battalion

The U.S. Army Recruiting Command and its Soldiers, Families, Civilians and Contractors are the Army’s trusted ambassadors to the American people. We “Provide the Strength” from the 1,400-plus recruiting stations nationwide and overseas.

Recruiting is one of the most critical jobs in the Army and it’s an extremely important mission. USAREC stands proudly knowing we have Soldiers and Families like you who are up for a challenge. Ensuring the quality of life for our Soldiers, Families, Civilians and Contractors is as important as the annual mission - taking care of each other makes us stronger. As a team – with Soldiers, Families, Civilians and Contractors hand in hand – we strive daily to achieve success. We pledge to give you all we have to provide a rewarding USAREC experience.

USAREC is geographically dispersed with locations throughout the 48 continental states, Hawaii, Alaska, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Europe, Guam, Saipan, Japan and Korea. Due to the geographical dispersal of the units within USAREC, Soldiers and Families may find themselves living many miles from a military installation (hundreds, even!). For some, transitioning into a civilian community can be difficult and challenging.

The Great Lakes Army Recruiting Battalion, headquartered in Lansing, Michigan, traces its history back to the Detroit Recruiting Battalion, established in October of 1964. with the inception of the "All-volunteer" Army in 1973, the Lansing District Recruiting Command (DRC) was created with 63 counties, and the Detroit DRC was realigned to encompass the eight southeastern metropolitan counties of Michigan. the "Outstate" and "Metropolitan" commands approximately split the state's 9 million person population. DRC's became "Battalions" in 1983.

During the early 1990s, a new Military Entrance and Processing Station (MEPS) was established in Lansing and the Detroit MEPS was moved to Troy. In June of 1992, the Detroit Battalion was phased out and its mission assumed by Lansing. Soon after, to recognize the new "mega" battalion's increased responsibilities and span of operation, it was renamed the Great Lakes Recruiting Battalion. currently the Battalion consists of a headquarters in Lansing: seven companies; 46 recruiting stations; and units at the two MEPS. It is responsible for Army recruiting throughout the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.

the geography of the battalion includes lush farmland in the south, wilderness areas in the north, and an industrial complex famous worldwide. among Michigan's ten major universities are two world-class learning centers, the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. recreation areas attract millions of tourists each year. Second only to Alaska in length of coastline, Michigan is a major yachting state. The 300 miles of sand dune-lined (some hundreds of feet high) beaches along Lake Michigan rank among the best in the world.

The battalion touches four of the five Great Lakes: Michigan, Huron, Superior, and Erie, as well as Lake St. Clair, which is sometimes referred to as the "sixth Great Lake." It is this geography which gave rise to the title "Great Lakes Recruiting Battalion." (Lake Ontario is the "5th Great Lake")

Great Lakes Recruiting is one of eight Battalions (Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, Great Lakes, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Nashville) within the 3rd Recruiting Brigade.  The 3rd Recruiting Brigade is the center of Army recruiting activities for an area stretching across the north central United States and tasked with the recruiting mission across eleven states covering over 614,390 miles.

Most Soldiers in the Great Lakes Recruiting Battalion are required to enroll in TRICARE Prime Remote, but there is a minority of soldiers who will fall within the mileage criteria of a military installation, thus keeping them in the "TRICARE Prime" system. It is important to note, however, the soldier will not have access to any medical services at MI military bases so will still receive services the same as TRICARE Prime Remote soldiers. It is critical to update information and enrollment information in TRICARE within 90 days of arrival to the BN. Recommend Soldier complete TRICARE and Dental program updates during in-processing at Battalion Headquarters. Soldiers relocating to the Great Lakes Recruiting Battalion with dependents need to ensure self and family-member information is updated in DEERS and in TRICARE. None of these updates are automatic, action is required to implement changes.

During the transition  Prior to leaving current Military Treatment Facility, try to arrange medications and specialists in advance. It is recommended to have 90 day supply of current medications or to make arrangements for delivery of such to your new location. Family members with medication-dependent conditions are encouraged to request assistance from current Military Treatment Facility's Ombudsman or Nurse Care Manager to facilitate Continuity of Care.

1.) Update DEERS with any changes such as addresses, family additions, etc.: www.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect or 1-800-538-9552

2.) Change current TRICARE plan: Active Duty Service Members enrollment in TRICARE Prime Remote is (usually) mandatory, but ADSM should utilize the TRICARE Plan Finder to determine TRICARE eligibility: Find a TRICARE Plan | TRICARE. Active Duty Family Members can enroll in TRICARE Prime Remote for Active Duty Family Members or TRICARE Select. www.tricare.mil/tpr or health.mil/Greatlakes. Active Duty: 1-888-647-6676

3.) Contact Humana Military to confirm enrollment and request Primary Care Manager 1-800-444-5445 or HumanaMilitary.com; recommend searching for Primary Care Manager on the Humana website.

4.) Contact assigned Primary Care Manager to confirm assigned to the provider.

PHARMACY - 877-363-1303 or www.tricare.mil/pharmacy 

DENTAL - www.tricare.mil/dental

VISION - https://tricare.mil/CoveredServices/Vision/EyeExams, and/or family members may purchase more robust coverage through the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP)

MEDICAL - Remember to ALWAYS verify that a referral also has an authorization. Humana is the contractor for TRICARE-east services. All TRICARE participants have access to a patient portal @ https://www.humanamilitary.com/ ... sign up for a patient account as soon as possible in order to make informed decisions regarding care choices. Seeking specialized care will often require additional effort from the patient in obtaining names of available specialists to give to their Primary Care Manager. It is common in the Great Lakes Recruiting Battalion service area for civilian providers to "Refer" a TRICARE patient to a non-network provider. A referral is NOT the same as an "authorization."  The Humana patient portal will have the authorization letter indicating the name of the authorized, in-network provider, the number of visits allowed, etc. If patient goes to a different provider than who is listed on the authorization, the patient WILL be responsible for "Point of Service" care, usually resulting in a significant deductible ($300), 50% of all allowable charges and the patient responsible for all balances. Know and understand your TRICARE plan. Reach out to the Battalion Soldier and Family Assistance Program Manager for clarification and/or questions.