Military Entrance Processing Station

NEW YORK, NY Fort Hamilton Military Community 116 White Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11252-4705 Phone: (718) 630-4646 Fax: (718) 765-7338

The New York MEPS originated in 1886 at 39 Whitehall in Manhattan, New York. During this era it was known as an "Induction Center" and was collocated in a four-story building with a vegetable store. The building was later converted into an eight-story building with a portion designated as a barber shop used to shave the heads of individuals entering the military. After a bomb blast inside the building in October 1969, the then "Whitehall Examining and Entrance Station" moved to Fort Hamilton Army Post into a warehouse. It was later renamed the "New York MEPS." Over the years, it went through numerous renovations. Between November 1992 and July 1996, the New York MEPS went through a major 3.1 million dollar renovation. During this period, its mission also increased with the closing of the MEPS in Newark, New Jersey in 1995. It is now considered one of the two largest MEPS in the United States.

The New York MEPS is one of a network of 65 MEPS located nationwide and in Puerto Rico.

A separate Department of Defense (DoD) agency, USMEPCOM is comprised of two geographical sectors and staffed with personnel from all military services.

The mission of USMEPCOM and the New York MEPS is to process individuals for enlistment or induction into the armed services, based on DoD-approved peacetime and mobilization standards.

Three primary areas are considered in determining an applicant's qualifications for enlistment:

• aptitude for military service
• physical qualification
• background evaluation screening