This Little Military Base Has a Massive Amount of Firepower

24/7 Wall St. Insights

• With 4x as many military personnel, the Norfolk Naval Base is the largest on this list
• Domestic military bases are more suited for housing and training military personnel, while international bases focus more on power and combat.
• Also: Discover the “next Nvidia”

At 2:30 AM, gunfire rang out near the main gate of the Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, a United States Air Force base. Guards returned fire at the unknown suspect, who then disappeared. However, by 5:00 AM, an unknown car was back and once again shooting at the base. At this point in time, who was shooting at the Air Force base – and why – is unknown. However, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland has stated that they do not believe the assault is terrorism or anything of the like. The quick response and defense capabilities highlight how important domestic military bases are on a local, national, and even international scale. (This is the newest American military base in the United States.)

The United States utilizes military bases and installations around the world to project power and run operations where it sees fit. On the domestic front, these bases serve a slightly different role. There is much less staging in an operational sense, but these seek to provide logistical hubs, housing and training centers for U.S. troops and assets. Some domestic bases are renowned for their training facilities where they produce the next generation of American soldiers and military personnel. Others house important military assets like tanks or aircraft that can quickly be deployed where needed. (America’s newest military base is home to 7 guided missile destroyers.)

Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at America’s domestic military bases. To identify America’s smallest military bases, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the demographic data from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) for 2019, which has the most recent year of comprehensive data by base. These military bases were ranked on the fewest active-duty military personnel. We only included bases housing active-duty military personnel for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and DoD were considered.

The Norfolk Naval Station, located in Virginia, is actually the largest naval base in the world and houses many of the U.S. naval assets. It plays an important role in supporting naval operations along the East Coast. One of the smaller bases within the U.S. is Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. It primarily acts as a training facility for the more advanced pilots in the U.S. Air Force. The base hosts Red Flag exercises, the world’s most realistic air combat training exercises, which attract international participation and foster collaboration among allied nations. So, while this base might be one of the smallest, it is by no means the least important.

Here is a look at America’s smallest military bases:

Why Are We Covering This?

U.S. domestic military bases are essential assets that play into national security and ensure military readiness on the domestic front. They play an important role in training and logistics, among other things, making them integral components of the U.S. military infrastructure. Looking at the 26 smallest military bases shows how even tiny military installations contribute to national defense.

26. Norfolk Naval Base, Virginia

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 47,368 (37.5% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 100,893
• Service branch: Navy
• Location: Norfolk

25. Fort Bragg, North Carolina

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 45,055 (43.2% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 109,101
• Service branch: Army
• Location: 10 miles from Fayetteville

24. Camp Pendleton, California

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 39,690 (24.0% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 70,700
• Service branch: Marine Corps
• Location: 35 miles from San Diego

23. Camp Lejeune MCB, North Carolina

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 38,706 (37.1% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 72,106
• Service branch: Marine Corps
• Location: 3 miles from Jacksonville

22. Fort Hood, Texas

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 36,697 (30.0% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 83,815
• Service branch: Army
• Location: Killeen

21. San Diego NAVSTA, California

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 32,983 (20.0% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 66,557
• Service branch: Navy
• Location: San Diego

20. Fort Campbell, Kentucky

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 26,824 (83.1% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 62,977
• Service branch: Army
• Location: 50 miles from Nashville

19. Fort Lewis, Washington

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 26,512 (44.6% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 62,831
• Service branch: Army
• Location: 12 miles from Tacoma

18. Fort Bliss, Texas

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 26,100 (21.3% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 60,307
• Service branch: Army
• Location: El Paso

17. Fort Carson, Colorado

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 24,520 (68.4% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 57,473
• Service branch: Army
• Location: 6 miles from Colorado Springs

16. Fort Benning, Georgia

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 24,305 (35.7% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 46,785
• Service branch: Army
• Location: 5 miles from Columbus

15. Lackland AFB, Texas

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 22,220 (18.2% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 42,521
• Service branch: Air Force
• Location: 5 miles from San Antonio

14. Fort Stewart, Georgia

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 19,476 (28.6% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 45,302
• Service branch: Army
• Location: 35 miles from Savannah

13. Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 15,726 (72.8% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 21,875
• Service branch: Navy
• Location: 30 miles from Chicago

12. Fort Riley, Kansas

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 15,214 (69.8% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 33,295
• Service branch: Army
• Location: 50 miles from Topeka

11. Fort Drum, New York

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 15,195 (74.7% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 32,011
• Service branch: Army
• Location: 8 miles from Watertown

10. Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 15,057 (31.7% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 34,022
• Service branch: Army
• Location: 20 miles from Honolulu

9. Fort Sill, Oklahoma

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 13,310 (59.2% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 26,189
• Service branch: Army
• Location: 90 miles from Oklahoma City

8. Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 12,218 (72.3% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 23,479
• Service branch: Army
• Location: 85 miles from Springfield

7. Fort Jackson, South Carolina

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 11,545 (28.4% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 20,589
• Service branch: Army
• Location: Columbia

6. Fort Gordon, Georgia

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 11,220 (16.5% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 25,636
• Service branch: Army
• Location: 12 miles from Augusta

5. Fort George G. Meade, Maryland

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 11,140 (39.8% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 26,041
• Service branch: Army
• Location: 15 miles from Baltimore

4. Fort Sam Houston, Texas

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 10,721 (8.8% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 25,655
• Service branch: Army
• Location: San Antonio

3. Mayport NAVSTA, Florida

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 10,442 (15.7% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 25,013
• Service branch: Navy
• Location: 10 miles from Jacksonville

2. Naval Base Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 10,222 (21.5% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 21,697
• Service branch: Navy
• Location: 6 miles from Honolulu

1. Nellis AFB, Nevada

• Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 10,168 (89.2% of mil. personnel in state)
• All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 21,937
• Service branch: Air Force
• Location: 8 miles from Las Vegas

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