Located within Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, the New England Army Recruiting Battalion consists of six Companies: Maine, New Hampshire, Boston, North Shore, Rhode Island, and South Shore. Those assigned to the Battalion may serve in a geographic location that is not central to the headquarters, but they will fall under the jurisdiction of the Battalion where they serve.
The Battalion is physically located within the shipyard, which is located in Kittery, Maine. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is responsible for maintenance for the Navy’s nuclear submarine fleet among many other duties.
Find information about the New England Recruiting Battalion including the main commercial and DSN numbers for the base, information on basic services, base transportation, lodging for TDY and PCSing personnel, and inprocessing.
Mission & Units
The New England Recruiting Battalion conducts recruiting operations for the United States Army and Army Reserve. The coverage area for recruiting efforts includes Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and eastern Massachusetts. Battalion companies and stations include:
- 1D1Maine Co
- Augusta Station
- Bangor Station
- Auburn Station
- Portland Station
- Waterville Station
- 1D2NewHampshire Co
- Dover Station
- Berlin Station
- Manchester Station
- Nashua Station
- Keene Station
- Concord Station
- 1D4 Boston Co
- Boston Metro Station
- Boston Tech Station
- Malden Station
- 1D5 North Shore Co
- Haverhill Station
- Lowell Station
- Framingham Station
- Peabody Station
- Waltham Station
- 1D6 Rhode Island Co
- Taunton Station
- Warwick Station
- Woonsocket Station
History
The history of the Battalion starts in 1947 when it was established as the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force Recruiting Main Station. This facility was located at Fort Preble, Maine and included five recruiting stations.
Fast-forward to 1974 when, after relocation and other changes, the battalion was designated the Concord District Recruiting Command with three geographic areas including northern Maine and, New Hampshire and parts of Vermont
More changes between then and 1987 happened but significantly in ‘87 the Concord Recruiting Battalion moved and was redesignated as Brunswick Recruiting Battalion. It gained Manchester, Bangor and Portland companies and ultimately “assumed responsibility for the inactivated Boston Battalion and assumed responsibility for the Boston, North Shore and Providence recruiting companies” according to the official site. Circa 1995 the battalion was redesignated again this time as the New England Army Recruiting Battalion.
It wasn’t until June 2011 when the battalion’s headquarters was placed in the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (thanks at least in part to the closing of Naval Air Station Brunswick). In contemporary times, New England Army Recruiting Battalion consists of Maine Company, New Hampshire Company, Boston Company, North Shore Company, Rhode Island Company and South Shore Company.
Contacts
Main Address And Phone Numbers
New England Army Recruiting
BLDG 395 Parker Ave
PNSY
Kittery, ME 03904
- 207-438-8503
- 207-438-8501
Important New England Battalion Phone Numbers
- Base Operator (207) 438-1000
- Emergency 911
- Command Group (207) 438-8545
- Education Specialist (207) 438-8504
- Soldier and Family Assistance (207) 438-8514
- S1 (Military Personnel) (207) 438-8598
- Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) (207) 438-1835
- Navy Gold Star Program (888) 509-8759
- Navy Wounded Warrior (NWW) — Safe Harbor (757) 444-6989
- Public Affairs Office (207) 438-3975
- Suicide Prevention Hotline (800) 273-8255
- Visitor’s Center and ID Cards (207) 438-2640
- Child Development Center (207) 438-2083
- Child Development Home (207) 438-2083
- Youth Center (207) 438-2114
- Naval Health Clinic New England (888) 628-9633
- Housing Service Center (207) 438-2732
- Navy Gateway Inns and Suites (207) 438-1513
- NSY Portsmouth Homes (207) 439-5052
- School Liaison Officer (207) 318-1730
Surrounding Area
Located at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and close to Kittery, Maine, the New England Battalion is about 50 miles from Boston and other desirable East Coast destinations. Travel to the Boston area is a must for sports fans.
There are many options to choose from depending on your Major League game of choice: Boston Celtics, Red Sox, and Bruins will keep sports lovers hopping through regular season and the playoffs (when applicable) but there are also plenty of live music venues, fine dining (the area is well-known for its seafood) but also for its’ history and culture. The Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Boston Common and The Freedom Trail are all popular destinations.
In Kittery, Fort McClary State Park and the Strawbery Banke Museum offer family-friendly outdoors fun and local history from colonial days to the present. Market Square is in the heart of downtown and there are plenty of galleries, bookstores, and antiques shops.
Inprocessing and Check-In
Contact your sponsor for current check-in procedures and inprocessing instructions. All inbound PCSing troops are directed to stay in close contact with their sponsor and get the sponsor’s assistance with issues related to the transition to the gaining unit.
Health Care
PCSing to the New England Battalion means you may be assigned to a Company that is considered part of TRICARE Remote coverage.
The unique nature of Army Recruiting assignments mean that if you have PCS orders to the New England Battalion you may be assigned to a geographic area that is not close to the physical location of the Battalion–your healthcare options will depend on what military bases may be nearby but plan on using your TRICARE network options and don’t assume a military facility is nearby or available to you.
Those who are assigned at the central location of the Battalion may have the option of selecting TRICARE coverage or using medical facilities at the Naval Branch Health Clinic Portsmouth.
Child Care
Due to the unique nature of the New England Battalion, you may, depending on where you physically serve while stationed at the Battalion, need to seek child care in the local area or at one of the nearby military bases–you can get information on local child care options by visiting MilitaryChildCare.com.
There are also nearby military bases but travel times to them may be prohibitive in some cases. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard has Child Development Center services for children six weeks to five years old. Due to demand, PCS season, and other variables, a waiting list may apply and hourly or drop-in care may only be offered on a space-available basis at Portsmouth. Remember, not all soldiers serve at the physical location of the Battalion.
It’s best to contact the CDC as soon as you have orders to the local area; call them at 207-438-3804 or by DSN at 312-684-3804. Other options such as Family Child Care (FCC) in private homes certified to offer child care may be available depending on demand and other factors.
Household Goods
All PCSing military members are directed to track and manage their household good shipments to USAREC New England Battalion via the Defense Personal Property System at Move.mil.
Dependent And Retiree ID Card Renewal, Replacement, New Issue
ID card services for those serving at the Battalion center at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard are handled by the Visitor Center and ID Office. Appointments are encouraged, walk-in service may not be available due to high demand, mission requirements, and other factors. Call 207-438-2640 to schedule an appointment.
All ID card services require current, unexpired ID and the presence of the military member or use of a Power of Attorney or other approved paperwork that allows the bearer to receive ID card services in the absence of the service member.
Schools
Those who serve at locations aside from the central location of the Battalion will need to explore their options in those local areas–the School Liaison Office at Portsmouth can help (see the contact phone number below) with transfer issues depending on where you are physically assigned. New arrivals aren’t given their duty locations until in-processing.
Military families living near the Shipyard will send their children to the Kittery School District. Those living off-base may send their children to either Portsmouth, New Hampshire schools or Kittery schools depending on the location of the home; this is because Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is situated between both New Hampshire and Maine and the physical address of the home determines school attendance.
Families PCSing to Portsmouth are encouraged to worth with the School Liaison Officer at Portsmouth at 207-438-2466 or DSN 312-684-2466. School registration is completed in person upon arrival.
Required vaccinations for transferring school children in the state of Maine include, but may not be limited to:
- Pertussis vaccine
- Diphtheria or tetanus toxoids
- Measles or mumps vaccine
- Rubella vaccine
- Live polio vaccine
- Inactivated polio vaccine
- Varicella
- Quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine
Housing
All inbound soldiers PCSing to the Battalion are directed to call the Personnel Human Resources Assistant at (207) 438-8598 to obtain sponsor information and receive a “pinpoint assignment” which will determine your geographic duty location which may or may not be at the physical Battalion location.
Because these locations are not assigned until you in-process, USAREC leadership warns PCSing soldiers, “… no inbound Soldier is authorized to purchase a home or sign a lease prior to in-processing”. You will need to discuss your housing options with Human Resources and wait until you know where you will serve before making arrangements for housing or signing legally binding contracts.
PCS and TDY Lodging
Those PCSing to the Battalion should coordinate temporary lodging with their sponsor; there are limited temporary lodging facilities at Portsmouth as many rooms are used by submarine crews. Other active duty military members may have priority over non-official travel.
Advance reservations (up to 120 days before arrival) are encouraged but travelers should know that pets are not allowed. Call the Billeting Office at 207-438-1513 to check on or make reservations. Those who are TDY may be billeted in a Navy Inn or in an on-base dorm facility depending on demand.
Transportation
Getting to the Battalion from Logan International Airport (the closest, located in Boston) can be tricky. Logan International is technically only over an hour away, but traffic issues make this journey far more complicated at peak rush hour times, in construction zones where applicable, etc. Those coming PCS or TDY to the area do best when they coordinate their arrival with a sponsor or gaining unit ahead of time.
You will find the usual ride sharing, taxi, and airport shuttle services at the airport depending on the time of arrival and other variables; ask your sponsor what the best options are for travel from Logan International based on your arrival time.
Vehicle Registration And Driver’s License
If you have established state residency in Maine (registering to vote there is one way) you have 30 days to convert vehicle titles and registration and pay any excise taxes due. Military members may be exempt from these excise taxes but the exemption may be conditional on where you live.
An Active Duty Excise Tax Exemption Form or a document similar to it may be required depending on where the service member resides–be advised that this tax exemption is NOT automatic. Ask your sponsor what may be applicable to you based on current laws and your status as a resident or non-resident.