This article was written with the assistance of A.I. technology, and has been edited and fact-checked by Melly Alazraki.

Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia is the largest military base in the United States by personnel. The base is home to 47,368 active-duty personnel, more than a third of all military personnel in the state. Including family members and dependents, there are 100,893 total personnel assigned to the Norfolk Naval Base, according to Department of Defense military demographics data for 2019.

Home to 75 warships and submarines, including five aircraft carriers, the base covers 4,300 acres, ranking it among the largest military bases in the world by total area, according to Encyclopedia Virginia.

The base is located in Norfolk, Virginia, a city with a history of military presence. Norfolk Naval Base is one of the Navy’s major East Coast facilities and is home to the United States Atlantic Fleet. The Navy base is just one part of the United States’ expansive network of military installations in the U.S. and around the world, and it provides the Navy with a strategic location and a deep water port.

The United States is planning to build new military bases in the Philippines as part of its effort to assert itself in the midst of escalating tensions with China in the South China Sea. The new bases will become part of the most expansive network of military installations in the world.

Click here to see all of the United States’ military bases.