What do the infamous pirate Blackbeard and SEAL Team 6 have in common? They are both local celebrities in the coastal resort town of Virginia Beach. Naval Air Station Oceana’s Dam Neck Annex lies approximately 5 miles south of the downtown Virginia Beach area. It covers 1,100 acres of diverse terrain, including 3.2 miles of private, pristine beaches on the Atlantic coastline. This small installation’s primary purpose is to support the Navy’s resident, and quite famous, SEAL teams.

Dam Neck is a small installation with most of the basics, but if you’re looking for more robust military amenities you can easily find them at NAS Oceana. Some of the calmest—least touristy—beaches are inside Dam Neck’s gate, and a lot of military families take advantage of them. Most of the Southside is also at your fingertips from here. Base housing is available, but you’ll likely be on a wait list. There are also many privatized housing communities located throughout the Southside cities and a high inventory of homes are usually available for rent or sale. A knowledgeable real estate agent can be a huge help in this region. Virginia Beach is a popular choice for a lot of military families because of the wonderful neighborhoods and highly rated schools, but Norfolk, South Virginia Beach, and Chesapeake are also popular choices.