Denver, CO
Military Entrance Processing Station

From the mid-1950's to the present, the Denver MEPS has been housed in the New Customs House. During the Vietnam conflict, the station was known as the Armed Forces Examining and Entrance Station (AFEES) and was part of the United States Army Recruiting Command. Processing at that time, however, was much the same as it is today.

The Vietnam era saw the need for more people in uniform. To meet this need, the Selective Service System, or draft, was reinstated. On an average day, 200 to 250 people were processed into the military by the Denver AFEES.

After the pull-out of American Forces from Southeast Asia in 1973, the need for military manpower decreased. The New Custom House was refurbished in the early 1990's to add many modern features while carefully maintaining much of the rich architectural and historical features.

The Denver 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 Denver 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