Our Battalion
From The Commander
The CSM and I welcome you to the Harrisburg Recruiting Battalion. The Battalion is headquartered at the Defense Distribution Region East, New Cumberland, PA.
It is one of eight battalions that make up the 1st. Recruiting Brigade located at Fort Meade, MD. We oversee the recruiting mission of 52 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties.
The Battalion is divided into seven companies with 21 Army Recruiting Centers. The seven companies are located in Carlisle, Clarion, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Lehigh Valley, State College, and Pittsburgh.
Along with our centers there are two Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS) which are located in Mechanicsburg and Pittsburgh. We also fill the requirements for the Army Reserve Command.
About Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is rich in history and tradition. This is the birthplace of our country, where our independence was declared our Constitution framed and the Union preserved at Gettysburg. With over 335 historic sites it is easy to see why we say "America starts here." Water is also one of PA.'s main assets. We rank first in the nation with over 45,000 miles of rivers and streams. There are also more than 76 natural lakes and more than 2,300 man-made ponds and lakes. All of this gives unlimited opportunities to canoe, swim, boat, sail, cruise or shoot the rapids while white water rafting. Fifty eight per cent of the state is covered in forest which provides great opportunities for hunters, hikers, back-packers, campers, rock climbers, fisherman, river-runners and boaters. While here make sure to take advantage of Pennsylvania's beautiful natural resources.
Battalion History
With the introduction of the all-volunteer Army, the Harrisburg District Recruiting Command was established on July 1, 1972. The new district assumed the mission of 17 recruiting stations from the Pittsburgh District Recruiting Command, and in September 1972 an additional 12 recruiting stations were transferred from the Philadelphia District Recruiting Command. The district, now responsible for the Army's recruiting mission in Central Pennsylvania, soon earned the distinctive title as the "Blue Ribbon" District Recruiting Command.
Two more Regular Army recruiting stations were added to the District Recruiting Command in February of 1977 with the transfer of the Altoona and Bedford stations. The scope of the District Recruiting Command's responsibilities increased again when, in June 1978, the Harrisburg District recruiting Command assumed the recruiting mission for the Army reserve. In 1982, the Harrisburg District was re-designated as the United States Army Recruiting Battalion-Harrisburg.
Today we oversee the recruiting mission of 52 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties. The Battalion is divided into seven companies with 21 Army recruiting centers.
Assigned to the battalion are 12 officers, 192 enlisted members, and 22 civilians. The U.S. Army Harrisburg Recruiting Battalion is headquartered at the Defense Distribution Region East , New Cumberland, PA. The battalion is one of the eight battalions that make- up the 1st Recruiting Brigade located at Fort Meade, Maryland. The Harrisburg Recruiting Battalion oversees the recruiting mission of 21 Army recruiting centers. The battalion is divided into seven companies covering 52 of 67 counties in Pennsylvania. The seven company headquarters are located in Carlisle, Harrisburg, Lehigh Valley, State College, Pittsburgh, Clarion and Greensburg. Along with the 21 recruiting centers there are two Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) located in Mechanicsburg and Pittsburgh.