The D.C. Army National Guard has opened a new recruiting office on 14th Street NW near the intersection with Florida Avenue NW, a location it hopes will be more accessible for people wanting to speak with recruiters.
Until today, the Army National Guard only had an office at the armory in Southeast DC. The last storefront recruiting office was located on Georgia Avenue but closed in 2010. The D.C. National Guard expects to benefit from the foot traffic with the new location.
鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping with the foot traffic and the driving traffic, more people will see and know of us. The armory鈥檚 kind of off on its own, and people see it as a large building that they might not really know it鈥檚 there,鈥� said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Amber Ellison, commander of DCNG鈥檚 Army National Guard recruiting and retention battalion.
However, she said if it鈥檚 easier for people to come to the armory, that can still be arranged.
鈥淭here is controlled parking at the armory, and then there鈥檚 also a controlled security entrance and so it might be easier to come here for some people, but if the armory works better, we鈥檙e always willing to meet at the armory as well,鈥� Ellison said.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Sherrie McCandless has lived in the D.C. area for 18 years. She said the new location helps to integrate the agency with community.
鈥淚 think we just become more integrated into what鈥檚 happening. Nobody has to drive out and try to figure out what the D.C. National Guard is about,鈥� McCandless said.
She also acknowledged that the location makes it more reachable for people who just want to get information.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 about accessibility to the people that we want to communicate with,鈥� she said. McCandless pointed out that a lot of people in the area don鈥檛 drive and that the location was accessible through the Metro.
鈥淣ot everybody has a driver鈥檚 license, a lot of people use the metro, so we really want to access that part of our diversity. We want to celebrate the fact that anyone who wants to come and talk to us is welcome to come and then just find out if it鈥檚 the right for them,鈥� McCandless finished.
鈥淗aving this recruiting center here in a really vibrant part of town 鈥� right here on 14th Street 鈥� is critically important to accessing our community, and making sure that as we get new recruits into the D.C. National Guard, we鈥檙e pulling from the community that the guards serve,鈥� said director of the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency Christopher Rodriguez.
