One of the most desireable Marine Corps stations in the country is Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. Miramar, for short, is located in beautiful San Diego, California, right in the center of a web of 10 Navy and Marine installations. MCAS Miramar is primarily home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW). The impressive array of aircraft aboard Miramar include the F/A-18D Hornet, the Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion heavy-lift helicopter, the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor helicopter, and the KC-130 Hercules. You can see all these aircraft and more at the annual Miramar Air Show that attracts visitors from all over the world.

Miramar’s history dates back to 1917 when it was a U.S. Army Infantry training base, Camp Kearny. Since then, this prized land has changed hands many times. After World War I the Navy occupied the area, ending the era of Camp Kearny. During World War II it was home to both Sailors and Marines for a little over a year, but in 1947 the Marines packed up and moved to El Toro, California. The former Naval Air Station Miramar is probably most well-known for the famous fighter pilot school, TOP GUN — yes, the one in the Tom Cruise movie–which is how the area earned the nickname Fightertown, U.S.A. But the Navy moved away in the late 90s and the Marines came back from El Toro in 1997.    

The 23,000 acre facility is considered to be a “city within a city” with housing, shopping, recreation, gas stations, and entertainment all accessible on the installation. Communities in surrounding San Diego county provide several options if you prefer to live off base or find yourself on the (typically lengthy) wait list for base housing. Living in base housing is popular because of the high cost of living in San Diego (and California in general), but there are many reasons to consider living off base! There are several desirable schools boundaries that some families try to live within, the beach is an appealing back yard, and if you think you’ll eventually be stationed somewhere else directly after Miramar (say, Camp Pendleton) you’ll want to consider a more central location for commuting.