Located smack in the middle of San Antonio, Fort Sam Houston is the oldest of the three installations that make up Joint Base San Antonio. Its central location in “Military City USA,” and Bexar County (pronounced bear), makes Fort Sam the prime spot for overseeing support for the entire joint base, which falls to the 502d Air Base Wing.

In 1876, the Army built a Quartermaster supply depot here, and over the next few years added a few homes and buildings. This modest depot became known simply as The Post at San Antonio. Consistent expansion and the arrival of new units earned The Post the permanent designation of Fort Sam Houston in 1890. Fort Sam Houston is home to the largest collection of historic buildings in the Department of Defense, and is a National Historic Landmark. The base is adorned with beautiful, historic buildings and the New Post was built in the Spanish colonial architectural style of the 1930s.  

Today, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston is also known as The Home of Military Medicine—and with good reason. Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), the largest military healthcare organization, and the San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC), the only Level 1 trauma center in the DoD, are here. The base’s primary mission is medical training, and the Army Medical Department Center and School (AMEDDC&S—how’s that for a military acronym?), and the Academy of Health Sciences are two standout units you’ll hear about.

On base housing is available, and quite unique, but you’d better be willing to wait it out. Rather than enduring months of waiting—and temporary lodging—many families choose to live in the surrounding communities. Working at the centrally located Fort Sam allows easy access to many of the downtown communities and the outlying suburbs of San Antonio.

San Antonio is a bustling city, but retains a small town feel. Friendly and fiercely patriotic locals are welcoming to military families, and homes are priced below the national average. The job market is great for spouses and veterans, making San Antonio a top pick for retirement.