Raleigh, N.C. -- Marine Corps Recruiting Station Raleigh opened a new permanent contact station in Wake Forest, N.C. on Dec. 16.
The Marines held a grand opening which featured a ribbon cutting and Toys for Tots drive to bring attention to the new station. Wake Forest Mayor Vivian Jones attended the ceremony and cut the ribbon for the Marines.
“I was delighted to be invited and included,” said Jones, who has been Wake Forest’s mayor since 2001. “It’s always exciting to me when people come to Wake Forest and I have the greatest respect for the Marine Corps and all of our armed services. Their presence here, to me, is a really good thing.”
A permanent contact station is a small recruiting office usually manned by one to two Marines and serves as an outlet into smaller communities within the state. The Wake Forest office is expected to recruit approximately 35 young men and women a year.
The new office offers a better vantage point for the recruiters and easier access for applicants. It is located near three major schools, Wakefield High School, Wake Forest High School and Heritage High School, and offers a better launching point into counties such as Franklin County.
The station, located at 10425 Ligon Mill Rd., Wake Forest, N.C., 27587, is manned by Staff Sgt. Frank Montejano, a Yorba Linda, Calif. Native, and Sgt. Donald Corey, an Ellerbe, N.C., native. They can be reached at (252)492-4772.
“The move is great,” said Montejano. “There is not a day that goes by that someone from Wake Forest doesn’t thank me for my service. They are a very supportive community.”