Medical group helps Nevada open first proccessing center

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Michael Charles
  • Nellis Public Affairs
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. --  Nellis Air Force Base participated in the first-ever processing of recruits for the U.S. military in the state of Nevada during the commencement ceremony of the new Satellite Outlying Area Processing Station, Oct. 7.

The first five enlisted and officer candidate Navy recruits processed through the station as part of the commencement of operations and were sworn in by Cmdr. Robert Mook, Navy Recruiting District San Diego commander.

"Today begins what we hope to be an easier and more efficient way for our brave men and women to volunteer to serve their nation," said Commander Mook.

The processing station is a joint cooperation between the Navy recruiting stations in Las Vegas and the 99th Medical Group at Nellis. In this agreement, recruits from the local area are transported to Nellis where they will undergo the medical evaluations portion of the processing line. While at Nellis, each recruit has his or her vision and hearing tested as well as a physical examination to determine if he or she qualifies to volunteer to serve in the U.S. military.

"This is only the beginning," said Col. John Degoes, 99th MDG commander. "We have already begun to become more efficient in this process. Hopefully in the future, we can extend this opportunity to more recruits."

Once the recruits' medical processing is completed, they are escorted to the main recruitment station where career advisers will conduct interviews and will help recruits choose a job. After the job selection is completed, recruits then take the oath of enlistment and enter into a delayed entry program for their service until they leave for basic training.

"These brave men and women have not only decided to protect the ideals we hold sacred as American citizens, but also to become the pioneers of a system that will be the future of processing for others trying to do the same," Commander Mook said.

Las Vegas, which is home to more than 500,000 people, is an outlying area for the two Military Entrance Processing Stations in the Southwest. Previously, recruits from the Las Vegas area had to travel to either Sand Diego, Calif. or Phoenix, Ariz. in order to process into the military. Because of the distance, it would cost approximately $280 per recruit in traveling and lodging fees to transport each recruit to one of those processing centers. The opening of the SOAP station in Las Vegas will save the government time and money and will reduce safety concerns regarding the long traveling distances.

The SOAP station will continue to process 10 new Navy recruits weekly every Thursday before possibly extending its services to other branches when the pilot program is re-evaluated a year from now.