24/7 Wall St. Insights

• U.S. military bases serve a variety of purposes. While those stationed abroad support global missions, domestic bases primarily focus on training military personnel and housing critical military assets.
• The size of any U.S. military does not correlate to its significance. Some of the smallest military bases in the U.S. are also among the most renowned.
• Also: Discover the next Nvidia

Even decades later, Pearl Harbor remains etched in memory as the site of the Japanese attack that drew the United States into World War II. Targeting the Naval Base at Pearl Harbor was part of Japan’s plan to cripple the American Fleet and take control of the Pacific, giving the country a significant advantage in the war. Ironically, however, despite its immense historical significance, Pearl Harbor is actually one of America’s smallest naval bases, proving that size isn’t always everything.

While the U.S. utilizes military bases and installations all around the world to project power and run operations, domestic bases serve a slightly different role. There is much less staging in an operational sense, as these bases instead provide logistical hubs, housing, and training centers for U.S. troops and assets. (This is the largest military base in your state.)

Some domestic bases are renowned for their training facilities, producing the next generation of American soldiers and military personnel. Others house important military assets like tanks or aircraft that can quickly be deployed.

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 is 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.

The Norfolk Naval Station, located in Virginia, is 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. (These are the biggest military bases in the United States.)

One of the smaller bases, on the other hand, 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.

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’s infrastructure.

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

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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