All Volunteer and Technology, Changes Military Entrance Processing
Story and Photos by: Master Sgt. Dave Largent - Posted Apr. 2008
It was still dark and most of the city was still asleep as the applicants started lining up at the door. The air was cold and it would be a long wait if the doors didn’t open soon.
Friday, February 8th was a relatively quiet day for the Seattle Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS). There was no one who needed to process and fly out to training, but there was someone that drew a lot of attention.
Mike Gregoire, husband of Governor Christine Gregoire, dropped by the MEPS for a tour of the facility and to see how much the processing has changed since his last visit.
That was in June 1968 when he was drafted, back then he processed through what was called the Seattle Induction Center.
First Mike, which he prefers to be called instead of First Gentleman, was impressed with the technology used in both the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) and the medical testing.
It has been almost 40 years and he welcomed the chance to get a first hand look at today’s processing. “A combination of things got me here, working with veteran groups and family groups made me wonder what the process was like now,” said First Mike.
“I came into the Army in June 1968 as a draftee at the Seattle Induction Center. When I came through back then it seemed like a large group processing. It seems much more personalized today,” he added
MEPS Commander Lt. Cmdr. Stormi Looney, took Gregoire through the medical processing stations, introduced him to staff, toured the rooms where applicants take the ASVAB test and gave him an opportunity to get fingerprinted on their digital fingerprinting equipment.
“I don’t remember if we had the hearing tests or things like that back then,” said Gregoire, “Very impressive, I’m impressed with the quality of the staff.
As the tour was drawing to an end one applicant successfully finished his processing and was ready to enlist into the Marine Corps. First Mike attended the swearing in.
“I thought the induction ceremony was great. They took the time to talk about the commitment and made a point of thanking them for volunteering in a critical time,”
Gregoire said.
The tour has been an educational process, different in a lot of ways from when he came into the military back in 1968 and in many ways still the same. “When I came in we had a combination of draftees and volunteers.”
What does Gregoire think about the Washington residents who are joining the military today?
“They’ve stepped forward and made a very serious life commitment in a very difficult time,” Gregoire said. We need to support them and thank them for what they are doing, he added.
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