The United States Armed Forces operates the world’s largest network of military installations, including locations both within its borders and around the world.
The exact number of active US military bases is considered classified information (there's your first fun fact!), but we do know there are bases on every continent except Antarctica.
Many bases are home to one military branch, such as the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, or Space Force, while other bases host multiple branches.
We've got a bunch of other interesting facts about US military bases, but before we get into those, have you seen our Military Tokens? We have tokens for all US military bases, plus offer the option to customize them with a date engraved on the back!
Random & Fun Facts About US Military Bases
Check out these random facts about US military bases!
1. Fort Bragg is the largest of all continential US military bases. Located in North Carolina, it's home to approximately 260,000 people, of which 54,000 are active duty members. With an area of 254.6 square miles, Fort Bragg is larger than the city of Chicago!
2. The newest military base in the US is Naval Station Everett. In Everett, Washington, this base opened in 1994 and has just over 2,500 active-duty members.
3. Camp Humphreys is the largest overseas US military base. It's in South Korea, nearly 40 miles south of Seoul, the nation’s capital. The base includes over 500 buildings and amenities.
4. The Wendover Air Force Base on the border of Nevada and Utah currently operates as a civil airport. Several major movies have been shot at this base, including Independence Day (1996), Con Air (1997), and Hulk (2003).
5. The Thule Air Base may stand as the most remote of all US military bases. It's the northernmost military post, situated in the northern part of Greenland only 947 miles away from the North Pole!
Thule Air Base, the northernmost of all US military bases | photo credit: Wikipedia
6. All states have US military bases, but Wyoming has only two. The Frances E. Warren Air Force Base and Camp Guernsey (also known as the Guernsey Maneuver Area) are the only military installations in the Equality State.
7. Bugle calls were established to create a disciplined lifestyle on various military installations. Among the more popular ones are “Reveille,” signaling morning roll call and “Taps,” signaling “lights out!”
8. California has the most military installations of any state. There are 32 bases across the Golden State, including the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines, the Coast Guard, and the National Guard/Reserve.
9. Fort Stewart, located in Hinesville, Georgia, is the only city in the United States where over half the population are active-duty military members and their families (45,300 out of 81,000). Another 10,900 residents are veterans.
10. There are six domestic military bases operated by the United States Space Force.
- Buckley Space Force Base (Aurora, Colorado)
- Los Angeles Air Force Base (El Segundo, California)
- Patrick Space Force Base (Satellite Beach, Florida)
- Peterson Space Force Base (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
- Schriever Space Force Base (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
- Vandenberg Space Force Base (Lompoc, California)
11. US military bases are usually led by a base commander, who is an officer. This is usually a colonel in the Army, Air Force, and Marines and in the Navy and the Coast Guard, this is a captain.
12. Fort Bliss is a military base located in both New Mexico and Texas, headquartered in El Paso. It has 1,500 square miles of restricted airspace, the largest in the contiguous United States!
13. Aptly-named Fort Bliss is also widely considered one of the nicest US military bases around. Onsite amenties include a bowling alley, fitness center, and an open-air shopping center that offers plenty of dining and retail.
14. Although military base housing is usually reserved for active-duty members and their families, sometimes this housing is available to civilians and retirees. Some housing even includes utilities and yard maintenance with the rent.
15. Carlisle Barracks is considered one of the oldest active military bases. Located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, its earliest buildings were built in 1757, during the French and Indian War.
16. The Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center is a Navy-operated military base in the Bahamas that supports underwater operations. The AUTEC was featured in novelist Tom Clancy’s book “The Hunt for the Red October," as well as an episode of the popular TV series NCIS.
17. The Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, is one of the few Coast Guard military bases that allows visitors. You can visit the Coast Guard Museum as part of a self-guided tour or hosted by cadets.
18. The Bellows Air Force Station in Oahu, Hawaii, includes recreational areas for active-duty military, retirees, and civilians. It includes over 100 beachfront cabins, over 50 campsites, 10 camper cabins, and 16 condo units.
Bellows Air Force Station in Oahu | Photo credit: MilitaryBases.com
19. The Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Arizona, is made mostly of flat desert. Unsurprisingly, it's considered one of the hottest US military bases in terms of number of 100+ degree days in the year.
20. The Rammstein Air Base in Kaiserslautern, Germany, has one of the best varieties of fast food dining, including a Baskin Robbins. Locals have nicknamed it “Burger Town.”
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