NAS Pensacola (cnic.navy.mil/pensacola) is known as the Cradle of Naval Aviation, being the Navy's first air station. The air station opened in 1913 with just 38 naval aviators backed up by 163 enlisted men. Pensacola was the home for all basic naval flight training from that date until 1971, graduating thousands of naval aviators. The site was chosen because of its proximity of the Pensacola Navy Yard, which had been in existence since 1826. Naval flight training has since moved to Corpus Christi, Texas. NAS Pensacola is home to the United States Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, also known as the Blue Angels.
Eglin AFB (eglin.af.mil) is located in Valparaiso, about 20 miles east of Pensacola. Eglin was first established as Valparaiso Bombing and Gunnery Base in 1935 and renamed Eglin Field two years later. Today it is home to the 96th Air Base Wing, 46th Test Wing, the 7th Special Force Group, 53rd Wing and 33rd Fighter Wing as well as munitions and support units. The Air Armament Center at Eglin is responsible for developing and maintaining all weapons delivered by air.
The naval hospital at Pensacola serves all naval personnel in the Pensacola region and their families, and also supplies medical assistance to any retired naval service people who live in the region. Apart from general health care, the hospital also has several specialist and surgical departments. It can accommodate more than 100 patients at any one time as well as outpatients. About 2,000 Navy personnel work at the hospital alongside several hundred civilians. The hospital maintains 12 naval medical clinics.
Corry Station Naval Technical Training Center (niocpns.navy.mil) is home to the Navy's Center for Information Dominance, which provides training for Fleet requirements in cryptology, information operations and information technology. The center came about after the combination of the Center for Cryptology from Corry and San Diego's Center for Information Technology. More than 600 personnel serve at Corry, which trains some 7,500 students every year. Navy Information Operations Command supplies support for cryptology units around the world.
