Description
Driving out to Virginia to participate in an artshow in Norfolk, I was inspired to turn Virginia’s ubiquitous motto, “Virginia is for Lovers” to “Virginia is for Warriors,” taking into consideration the state’s significant military presence. Indeed, Virginia is a lover of all things military, boasting an impressive array of defense-related installations and consistently ranking among the top recipients of defense spending in the United States.
Virginia is home to numerous military facilities, including:
- Naval Station Norfolk, the world’s largest naval base
- Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek
- The Pentagon, headquarters of the Department of Defense
- CIA headquarters in Langley
- Arlington National Cemetery, including the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
- Fort Belvoir, which employs more people than the Pentagon
- Fort Eustis, now part of Joint Base Langley-Eustis
- Fort Lee, headquarters of the Army Combined Arms Support Command
In total, Virginia hosts 19 military installations, representing every branch of the Department of Defense except for the Space Force
Virginia also consistently ranks among the top states in terms of defense spending and when considering defense spending as a percentage of overall economic activity, Virginia ranks first among all states,
