Last Updated: 07 January, 2015

1.0 Introduction

This article will provide an overview of the US Army’s Recruiting Command (USAREC), looking at the purpose and structure of USAREC, before moving onto the key personalities and programmes that support the role of USAREC. Finally, the article will provide an outline of the Recruit the Recruiter process, including the Army Recruiter Course, before highlighting some useful links.

2.0 Purpose of USAREC

USAREC is responsible for manning both the Regular (Active Duty) Army and the Army Reserve and enables this by providing the command, control, and staff support to the recruiting force.

2.1 Area of Operations

Recruiting operations are conducted throughout the US, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and at US facilities in Germany and Asia.

3.0 Structure of USAREC

The headquarters of USAREC is located at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and has more than 400 officers, enlisted personnel and civilian employees working in diverse areas including: personnel; administration; resource management; safety; market research and analysis; public relations; and recruiting operations. USAREC has its own inspector general and staff judge advocate.

Across USAREC there are approximately 9,500 military and civilian recruiters working out of more than 1,400 recruiting stations across the US and overseas. USAREC’s subordinate structure USAREC Organisational Chart includes seven recruiting brigades.

The 1st Recruiting Brigade is headquartered at Fort Meade, Md.
The 2d Recruiting Brigade is at Redstone Arsenal, Ala.
The 3d Recruiting Brigade headquarters is located at Fort Knox.
The 5th Recruiting Brigade is at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
The 6th Recruiting Brigade is located in North Las Vegas, Nev.
The Medical Recruiting Brigade headquarters, which also manages Special Forces and Chaplain recruiting, is collocated with the USAREC Headquarters at Fort Knox.

Each brigade commands up to eight recruiting battalions within its geographic area for a total of 38 battalions; with each battalion commanding the recruiting companies in its area (258 companies provide the tactical control of recruiting stations). The Medical Recruiting Brigade consists of five Medical Recruiting Battalions across the Command and the Special Operations Recruiting Battalion (Special Missions Brigade).

3.1 USAREC Key Personalities

The Commanding General USAREC is a Major General (OF-7).
The Deputy Commanding General USAREC is a Brigadier General (OF-6).
The Chief of Staff USAREC is a Colonel (Of-5).
The senior enlisted person within USAREC is the Command Sergeant Major (OR-?).

4.0 USAREC Programmes

USAREC provides a number of programmes that contribute to the overall purpose of the US Army’s recruitment strategy, and include:

Interservice Physician Assistant Programme (approximately 150 per year alongside candidates from the US Air Force, US Navy, US Coast Guard, US Army Reserve, National Guard, and the US Public Health Service).
US Army Warrant Officer Recruiting Programme (recruitment, selection and training of warrant officers).
Recruit the Recruiter Programme (recruitment and selection of recruiters).
Recruiting and Retention School (training and development of recruiters).
US Army Accessions Support Brigade (USAASB: provides a single headquarters for the command and control of the US Army Accessions Mission Support Battalion, the US Army Marksmanship Unit, and the US Army Parachute Team (Golden Knights), which, all provide support to the US Army Recruiting Command, the US Army Cadet Command and the Army Marketing and Research Group).
Mission Support Battalion (provides mobile and fixed exhibits).
Golden Knights (US Army Parachute Team).
US Army Marksmanship Unit.
Army PaYS (Partnership for Youth Success).
Army Nurse Corps.
Chaplain Recruiting.
Leased Housing Programme.

4.1 Non-Recruiter Recruiting Assistance Programmes

USAREC has three methods for non-recruiters to assist USAREC in the recruitment process:

Hometown Recruiter Assistance Programme (HRAP): allows enlisted personnel who have recently completed Advanced Individual Training (AIT), One Station Unit Training (OSUT) or Army Civilian Acquired Skills Training (ACASP) to return to their hometowns on permissive TDY for up to 14 days to assist the local recruiters by sharing their Army training experiences with family, friends, high school classmates, Future Soldiers, veterans, and community leaders. HRAP personnel report to the recruiting station and accompany recruiters throughout the community to assist in obtaining quality referrals for enlistment. All permanent party personnel may apply for HRAP by submitting a DA Form 31, Request and Authority for Leave, through their chain of command. Additionally, officers may also volunteer for HRAP duty in their hometowns or areas in which they are familiar, such as where they attended college.
Active Duty Operational Support, Reserve Component (ADOS-RC): Army Reserve personnel of all ranks can support local recruiters to generate leads that will result in Army Reserve enlistments through the ADOS-RC programme (previously called ADSW). Army Reserve personnel typically serve 5-14 days supporting recruiters within a 50-mile radius of their residence or Reserve Troop Programme Unit (TPU).
Army Referral Programme: The Army Referral System – Sergeant Major of the Army Recruiting Team (ARS-SMART) is a way for people to provide referrals who are interested in enlisting into the Regular Army and/or Army Reserve. Everyone who makes a referral through SMART is eligible for the Sergeant Major of the Army Certificate, provided the referral enlists into the Regular Army or Army Reserve.

5.0 Outline of Recruiting the Recruiter

In order to become a recruiter in the US Army, individuals are required to complete/fulfil a number of steps and eligibility requirements. These include:

Financial;
Family;
Education;
Time in service (TIS); and
Time in Grade (TIG).

The following documents will provide individuals with an overview of what is required and a general overview of the recruitment profession within the US Army.

5.1 Selection of US Army Recruiters

There are currently two methods to becoming a US Army recruiter:

Volunteer; or
DA (Department of the Army) Selected recruiter.

With the first method, personnel who meet the eligibility can apply to become a US Army recruiter. With the second method, personnel are selected by their MOS branch manager at HRC to become a US Army recruiter. Although processing for DA-selected recruiters is through HRC, the Recruit the Recruiter (RTR) Team will provide advice and support.

5.2 Application

Although individuals no longer have to contact the RTR Team for a telephone interview, there are still several forms that must be completed (accurately) and submitted:

Commander’s Packet:
- The instructions for completing forms (guide only, not submitted);
- The application checklist;
- The interview worksheet;
- The DA Forms:
  - 5425: Personal Financial Statement.
  - 5426: Battalion Commander Evaluation
  - 5427: Company Commander Assessment
  - 7424: Sensitive Duty Questionnaire
- DA Form 3822: Mental Health Evaluation (Behavioural Health services will provide the form);
- ERB; and
- Photographs (must be colour) of ALL tattoos not located in a “private” area of the body.
The assignment preference map; and
The Volunteer Recruiting Statement.

It is important that individuals carefully read the documents in points 1 and 2 as USAREC receives numerous applications with errors, which subsequently delay the RTR process. All individuals also require to be in possession of a government credit card.

6.0 US Army Recruiter Course

The US Army Recruiter Course (ARC) is delivered by the Recruiting and Retention School (RRS), which is a unit of the Soldier Support Institute (SSI). The RRS is located in Fort Knox (Kentucky is commanded by a Colonel (OF-5).

Figure 1: RRS Organisational Chart

The ARC is 6-weeks and 4-days in duration and its goal is to teach prospective recruiters the interpersonal, conceptual, administrative, technical, and tactical skills necessary to succeed in the contemporary recruiting environment. The curriculum is designed to provide training in the principles of adaptive leadership, eligibility, technology systems, interpersonal communications, Army programmes, time management, interviewing and prospecting, and small unit recruiting tactics. To achieve this the ARC curriculum is composed of nine broad-based subjects:

Enlistment Eligibility;
Recruiting technology;
Recruiting knowledge;
Interpersonal and Communication Skills;
Prospecting;
Interviewing;
Processing;
Future Soldiers; and
Recruiting Exercise (RECEX).

After the initial 3-weeks of large group instruction, classes are divided into small groups to facilitate the subjective nature of prospecting and interviewing.

Upon completion of the ARC, individuals will have been trained to a standard ready to perform their duties as a recruiter. However, an individual’s training does not end with the ARC. New recruiters will be placed in a 6-month transitional programme known as the New Recruiter Programme. These 6 months are non-rated, allowing new recruiters time to become proficient in the role of a US Army recruiter.

Army Recruiter Course Requirements & Outline

6.1 Other Courses

Besides the ARC, the RRS also delivers a number of other courses:

Recruiting Centre Commander Course (CCC):
Health Care Recruiting Course (HCRC): 3-weeks.
Guidance Counsellor/Operations Course (GCOC): 4-weeks.
Recruiting Company Commander and First Sergeant Course (RCCFSC): 3-weeks.
Recruiting Operations Officers Course (ROOC): 2-weeks.
(RMTC): a course for Battalion Operations Sergeants Major.
Recruiting Pre-Command Course (PCC): 2-weeks.
Executive Officer (XO) Course: 1-week.

7.0 Assignment Duration and Changing MOS

Personnel who volunteer/or are DA-selected for duty as a US Army recruiter will typically complete a standard 3-year tour. Some personnel may wish to consider a permanent change of MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) to CMF 79 – Recruitment and Reenlistment.

Personnel within this MOS gain invaluable experience for civilian employment, particularly in the area of personnel and sales work. Employers within the recruitment field can be found at all levels of government and private industry. There are currently four streams within MOS 79R:

79R+ Recruiter.
79S+ Career Counsellor.
79T+ Recruiting and Retention Non-Commissioned Officer (Army National Guard).
79V+ Retention and Transition NCO (Reserve).

Personnel can request to convert to 79R as early as 15 months as a recruiter, but in most instances they must have 24 months or more. Personnel will receive counselling from their chain-of-command should they decide to covert but it is a career decision that the individual must make. If personnel choose not to convert, or if their conversion is denied, they will complete their 3-year tour and return to their MOS.