San Diego, CA
Military Entrance Processing Station

San Diego MEPS was originally a substation of Los Angeles MEPS from September 1978 through September 1979. On October 1, 1979, the Department of Defense commissioned San Diego MEPS as a separate command.

San Diego MEPS was originally located at 235 West F Street, Downtown San Diego in the "Old Courthouse" building. The offices were former jail cells without even the basic necessities, such as sinks for medical examinations. The building had three floors for operations and was constructed in a Spanish Colonial-classical Greek architectural style, typical of turn of the century structures of the early 1900s.

The station then moved to 1750 Fifth Avenue in January 1984. Air Force Brigadier General Wilma Vaught, then the highest ranking woman in the Armed Forces, commissioned San Diego MEPS at that location. Finally, on August 4th 1997, San Diego MEPS opened its doors at the current location on 4181 Ruffin Road.

San Diego MEPS is part of a network of 65 MEPS located nationwide and in Puerto Rico.

Operating as 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 San Diego 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