Hanover, Md. -- Marine Corps Recruiting Station Baltimore recently moved its headquarters to a new location in Hanover, Md., Sept. 25. The Marines of RS Baltimore moved the furniture and equipment from the headquarters’ old location off Route 1 in Elkridge, Md. to the new building located at 1334 Ashton Road in Hanover.
The move was necessary for several reasons but primarily due to the ongoing budget sequestration. The old building had been in use by RS Baltimore for more than 15 years. The building had deteriorated in recent years, and it was more cost-effective to move into a new location than to pay for repairs.
In addition to cost, safety was also a contributing factor in the decision to move. The old building only had one exit, which could have been a risk to the Marines’ safety in the event of a fire or emergency.
“(The building) is in a more predominant area,” said Maj. Christopher S. Conner, the commanding officer of RS Baltimore and native of Gastonia, N.C. “It’s safer to be here for the Marines and for the property.”
The Marines of RS Baltimore were assisted in the move by Marines from 4th Marine Corps Recruiting District as well as several local reserve units. Cpl. Galen Theus, a motor vehicle operator with 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, was one of several Marines from 4th CEB who worked several hours helping load the moving trucks.
“It felt good,” said Theus, a Baltimore native. “It was a chance to show my appreciation and continued level of support to RS Baltimore and their mission. They have always given me the opportunity to be out in my community representing the Marine Corps, be it community relations events or recruiting events, and I am more than willing to lend a hand and give back to them for all of that over the past five years.”
During each day of the move, Marines worked tirelessly to pack and load everything from desks, chairs, computers, filing cabinets, lockers, office supplies and exercise equipment onto a moving truck. While Marines at the old building were packing and loading one truck, Marines at the new building were unloading another truck.
Gunnery Sgt. David Velez, the logistics chief for RS Baltimore and native of Miami, Fl., described the move as organized chaos.
“With all the moving parts and different personnel we had working here, we were able to meet our goals and ultimately reach our objective of getting moved in,” he said.