FORT KNOX, Ky –
To further support military recruiting partners meeting current goals, select MEPS will open for processing one Saturday per month, from January through March and in May. On Jan. 22, the command began the first of four Saturday openings at 10 MEPS.
“Saturday processing provides additional flexibility during challenging times,” said Col. Megan Stallings, USMEPCOM commander. “The January 22 opening made a difference for both individual applicants and the services,” she added.
The decision to add processing days was not taken lightly by USMEPCOM leadership and resulted from an intensive analysis of recruiting service processing needs.
Future processing dates set for Saturdays in 2022 are Feb. 26, March 26, and May 21. For each Saturday processing, there are a total of 10 MEPS open on each of the Saturdays. Identification of the 10 MEPS is coordinated monthly with the services and the approximate date for a given month will be finalized 35-40 days prior to the following month’s Saturday processing.
To open for Saturday processing, unlike previous Saturday openings, there will not be a minimum projection requirement. Saturday processing follows the 48-hour scheduling rules requiring submission of applicant projections no later than 11a.m. on the preceding Thursday.
MEPS will also provide night testing on Fridays before the scheduled opening. At the discretion of the MEPS commander, special purpose testing can take place on Saturdays also. At least one walk-in per service is permitted with the expectation that the workload will not exceed medical processing capacity.
Stallings recognizes the additional strain weekend openings can cause. Supporting recruiters in fulfilling their mission while ensuring Saturday processing is used efficiently and not overburdening personnel is a priority to USMEPCOM leadership. To minimize civilian employee stress, the intent is not to have any one MEPS open for more than two of the four Saturdays.
“These additional operational capabilities allow our recruiting partners to maximize access to the testing, medical, and processing at the MEPS to achieve increased contracting and accession goals,” Stallings said. “We know our MEPS personnel work, day in and day out, in support of ‘Freedom’s Front Door,’ and our goal is to provide additional Saturday processing days efficiently and effectively.”