In the military we’re occasionally fortunate to be stationed somewhere friends and family actually want to visit. Eglin Air Force Base is one of those place. Positioned on Northwest Florida’s pristine Emerald Coast between Pensacola and Panama City, Eglin AFB is the largest Air Force base in the world and lays claim to over 700 acres of diverse terrain including forests of pine trees, swamps, and white sand beaches. The largest wing in the Air Force, the 96th Test Wing, supports this massive installation and there are over 50 units from almost every major command represented here. The U.S. Army Ranger Camp (swamp phase of Ranger School) and the Navy’s Explosive Ordinance Device School also call this base home. Eglin lays claim to ten auxiliary air fields, two of which have notable residents. Duke Field is home to the Army’s 7th Special Forces Unit and Hurlburt Field is the stomping grounds of the 919th Special Operations Wing.

Eglin AFB is huge, but the main base area is concentrated near the shores of the Choctawhatchee Bay. The destination city of Destin is across the bay and the waterfront communities of Fort Walton Beach, Valparaiso, and Niceville flank the base on either side. The suburban enclave of Crestview lies farther north and offers a little more breathing room, easier access to Pensacola via Interstate 10, and great proximity to Duke Field.