A Peninsula Mainstay For Nearly 400 Years

Capture a panoramic view of Hampton Roads while exploring historic Fort Wool, Hampton, Virginia.

The military has played a pivotal role on the Peninsula since the English settlers set foot on this land in 1607. The soldiers who accompanied the first settlers are the predecessors of the thousands of men and women who have donned uniforms to protect the United States of America. The Peninsula is proud to house a number of bases associated with all branches of the USmilitary. Many of the ships, planes and soldiers actively engaged in America’s war on terrorism call Hampton Roads home.

The military plays an important part in our economy. Over 22,500 uniformed men and women stationed at Peninsula military installations represent about ten percent of the work force here. Over 10,000 civilians also work at the various bases on the Peninsula. Altogether, an estimated 420,000 people inHamptonRoads, 30 percent of the region’s population, have ties to military installations.

Military Bases & Activity

Langley Air Force Base, nestled between Hampton and Poquoson, opened in 1916 as an experimental air station for testing airplanes and dirigibles as part of the military power. Since then, Langley pilots have taken part in all conflicts in which the U.S. has had a role. Throughout the next 20 years, Langley was the site for the Field Officers School and the Air Corps Tactical School. Fort Eustis is in the midst of more than $100 million worth of renovations.

From the 1940s, it has been home to the Tactical Air Command (TAC). The 1st Tactical Fighter Wing was established at Langley in 1946. Pilots with this Wing were the first to have a confirmed aerial kill in Operation Desert Storm in Iraq.

Langley is also the home to the Air Force’s new Air Combat Command, a consolidation of TAC with the Strategic Air Command, formerly headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. Renovations are underway at Langley Air Force Base for hangars for the F-22 Raptor the Air Force plans to house there.

Its 9,100 air and 2,613 civilian personnel draw an annual payroll of about $317.5 million and $64.6 million, respectively.

Fort Eustis, the Peninsula’s largest military installation located in northwestern Newport News, opened in 1918. During the early 1930s, the Department of Justice used the facility to imprison Prohibition violators. By the late 1930s, it was again used solely by the Army for its strong and