If you’re curious about the United States Air Force and where they are housed, take a look at the 10 biggest air force bases in the world.
I don’t personally know many people in the Air Force or much about the branch, I am really intrigued by airplanes. The United States is home to what is widely considered as the most powerful military in the world. Therefore, it’s also home to some of the largest military bases in the world. Many of these bases take up vast amounts of land and are, in a way, their own city within a city due to the number of people who work and live there on a daily basis. The idea of military bases has always been interesting to me because, for the most, normal civilians cannot go on the base whenever they want. Security is no joke when you’re within even a few miles of these bases. I do know there’s an Air Force base in my home state of North Carolina, but it’s rarely talked about, maybe because it’s overshadowed by the much larger Marine and Army bases our state is also home to. The only branch that doesn’t have a branch in the state is the Navy. You can find out where some of the largest Navy bases are with the 10 Largest Navy Bases in the World.
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According to the Air Force’s Personnel Center, the branch employs nearly 13,000 pilots, 1,364 air battle managers, and more than 300,000 active duty personnel. It’s also the newest branch of the United States military, established in 1947. There are also almost 61,000 female personnel in the Air Force. Around the world, some of the strongest Air Forces are in Japan, Australia, Germany, India and France, just to name a few.
Because these bases are so important to a country’s military power and security, we decided to come up with our own list of biggest air force bases in the world. To come up with this list, we used sites such as MilitaryTimes, MilitaryInstalations, AirLiners, VeteranAid to determine the population of the largest Air Force bases. So the base at the top of our list is associated with the largest population of personnel out of the group of 10.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the 10 biggest Air Force bases in the world, and how many people call them home.
10. Edwards
Location: California
Population: 22,000
Edwards is home to the Air Force Flight Test Center. It is the home of many aerospace “firsts,” like where the sound barrier was broken.
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9. Keesler
Location: Mississippi
Population: 27,188
Keesler was opened with a primary mission of training. The base focuses on a high-technology training in various fields.
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8. Nellis
Location: Nevada
Population: 29,900
It is home to a major, joint medical venture. The Air Force houses the medical facility and manages it for the Department of Defense (DoD).
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7. Scott
Location: Illinois
Population: 46,733
Home to a 70-bed hospital, shopping centers, restaurants and a wide array of facilities and recreational activities for families living on base.
6. Ramstein
Location: Germany
Population: 53,000
More than 85 percent of its population lives off base. It hosts the 86th Airlift Wing unit and has a mission to conduct USAFE’s only airlift, airdrop and aeromedical evacuation operation.
5. Aviano
Location: Italy
Population: 83,306
Its location makes it critical to operations in the southern NATO region.
4.Wright-Patterson
Location: Ohio
Population: 137,000
Home to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
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3. MacDill
Location: Florida
Population: 166,582 (133,032 retirees)
The base’s main unit is the The 6th Air Mobility Wing.
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2. Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland
Location: Texas
Population: 295,907
Encompassing JBSA are Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base and Randolph Air Force Base, which are three separate installations.
1.Fort Hood
Location: Texas
Population: 331,281
Fort Hood is one of the largest U.S. military installations in the world. Home to units like the 1st Cavalry Division, the 504th Military Intelligence Brigade and the 4th Infantry Division to name a few.
We hope you’ve learned a thing or two from reading our list of the 10 biggest air force bases in the world.
