If We Give You the Name of a City, Can You Tell Us What Military Base Is Located There?

John Miller

Image: Terry Moore/Stocktrek Images/Stocktrek Images/Getty Images

About This Quiz

The Department of Defense doesn’t say exactly how many missions it conducts each day around the world. But you can bet that on any given day, there are America troops training for action and plunging into danger at every moment. Many of those exercises and firefights start at one of the country’s bases, small and large. If we name a city or town, do you think you can name the nearest major military base?

Since its earliest days, the U.S. has constructed and maintained headquarters for the Army and Navy. Without these facilities, the military would lack structure and efficiency, allowing enemy troops to infiltrate and capture swaths of territory. Do you know the names of some of the nation’s most important bases … and do you have any idea where they are located?

Some of the biggest bases are – for obvious reasons – strategically placed on America’s coasts. From there, the Air Force, Navy, Army, Marines and Coast Guard deflect and destroy any forces that try to invade. A few bases are little more than storage depots. Others are literally cities in and of themselves.

From Fort Bragg to Fort Robinson, give us your sharpest salute, soldier! And fire up this military base quiz now! 


Which sprawling Navy compound is located in Norfolk, Virginia?

Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, VA, is home to United States Fleet Forces Command. It is the biggest naval base on Earth, with miles of docks and piers … and guns.

Which WWII-era Marine base is located near San Diego?

Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton was a critical training hub for soldiers in WWII. It's still a vital base and home to the 1st Marine Division.

It's named after a trailblazing Native American serviceman and located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Which base is it?

They're not tinkering around at Tinker Air Force Base. It's a deadly serious facility, and named for Major General Clarence L. Tinker, the first Native American major general.

This area is a critical air power in Yigo, Guam. Which base is it?

Home to the 36th Wing, Andersen Air Force Base is a indispensable base in Guam. It's the only place in the region that America can deploy huge long-range bombers.

It's home to a famous War College, and it's Newport, Rhode Island. Which base is it?

At Naval Station Newport, in Rhode Island, you'll find the Naval War College. It's also a place where inactive ships rest, waiting impatiently for World War III.

It's the largest base in the state of Alaska, and it's located by Anchorage. Which base it?

Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson is a often just called "J-BER," and it's located near Anchorage. It helps to maintain America's strategic strength in the area so that the Red Army can't just march in whenever they feel like it.

You'll find the Twelfth Air Force near Marysville, California. Which base is it?

The 9th Reconnaissance Wing is located at Beale Air Force Base, in California. This scouting element of the Air Force is hugely important to the military's ability to make informed defense decisions.

Which base is a major missile and space testing area near Lompoc, California?

Vandenberg Air Force Base isn't just for the Air Force. There, engineers launch huge rockets, too, and they tweak their skills for intercontinental ballstic missile attacks.

This base is large enough to accommodate aircraft carriers, and it's in Jacksonville, Florida. Which base is it?

Naval Station Mayport is no average port. This Florida facility has a harbor that can allow huge aircraft carriers to dock. It was created during the craziness of WWII.

It features all branches of the military and it's located by Trenton, New Jersey. Which base are we referring to?

Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst is a combined military not far from Trenton. Dozens of mission commanders work here, making this base one of America's most multifaceted headquarters.

The 28th Bomb Wing is very close to Rapid City, South Dakota. Which base does this wing call home?

The 28th Bomb Wing, at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, is home to a real rarity -- the B-1B Lancer. These huge supersonic bombers can blast targets just about anywhere on Earth.

It has a Recruit Training center and is located near Chicago. Which base is it?

Naval Station Great Lakes is home to the Navy's only boot camp. It's the biggest training facility in the entire Navy, and it is literally built like a small city.

By population it is the single biggest military base on the planet, and it is near Fayetteville, North Carolina. Which base is it?

Devouring more than 250 square miles, Fort Bragg might be America's most important base. More than 50,000 active duty service members work here.

This one's a major Army facility near Manhattan, Kansas. What's its name?

Located in the swells of the Kansas plains, Fort Riley is an old outpost that currently serves as a major base. It's also home to the legendary 1st Infantry Division.

It's an enormous 22,000-acre base near Bossier City, Louisiana. Which base is it?

Barksdale Air Force Base sweats in the hot Louisiana sun. It's home to the 2d Bomb Wing, the oldest bomb wing in the entire Air Force.

It houses a huge supply of gold, and it's located near Louisville, Kentucky. Which base is it?

Founded in the Civil War, Fort Knox is a big Kentucky Army base. It's also home to the famous United States Bullion Depository.

It's home to STRATCOM and located near Omaha. Which base is it?

Offutt Air Force Base, near Omaha, is home to U.S. Strategic Command. There, top commanders evaluate threats to national security and occasionally seriously consider nuking other countries.

It's about 40 miles from Barstow, California. And it's one of military's most important training facilities. Which one is it?

The Fort Irwin National Training Center, in California, is where Army units go for massive training exercises. They practice against the famous Blackhorse Cavalry, which forces new troops to learn … or die trying.

Which Navy base is a human resources hub and located in Millington, Tennessee?

In Tennessee you'll find Naval Support Activity Mid-South. Thousands of Navy personnel work here, including some of the branch's top human resources folks.

The 96th Test Wing experiments with new technologies near Valparaiso, Florida. Which base is it?

Do you like to drop huge bombs out of gigantic planes? Head on down to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. There, if you manage to qualify as a pilot, you'll get to blow up things using fancy new experimental weapons that the CIA found in the wreckage of alien ships.

It's named after a Civil War general and located near Columbus, Georgia. Which base is it?

Fort Benning is one of America's biggest bases, and it's located in Georgia. It was founded in 1909, and since then, hundreds of thousands of troops have learned their deadly arts on its soils.

It's the "Intellectual Center of the Army," and near Kansas City. Which base is it?

Fort Leavenworth, near Kansas City, is one of the oldest and most renowned bases in America. It's where many officers learn their trade, and it's also home to a menacing maximum-security prison.

It's a famous post between Austin and Waco, Texas. Which base is it?

Fort Hood is a gigantic Army base in Texas. It's also been the tragic scene of multiple high-profile shootings.

It's a far-off Army installation near San Juan. Which base is it?

In Puerto Rico you'll find Fort Buchanan. It's America's only active U.S. Army installation in the Caribbean, and as such, vital for strategic tanning purposes.

This enormous Army base consumes more than 90,000 acres near Lawton, Oklahoma. Which base is it?

It was founded during the bloody Indian Wars of the 19th century. These days, Fort Sill, in Oklahoma, is a massive Army base, one of the few that trains green recruits in boot camp.

It's an important reserve facility in Marietta, Georgia. Which base is it?

Dobbins Air Reserve Base is no backwater location. It's a major air base with very long runways that can accommodate the Air Force's largest and heaviest planes.

It's an important Marine base in Port Royal, South Carolina. Which base is it?

Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island sounds like a lovely place to spend a vacation. But instead, it's a brutal training ground for enlisted Marines. It was built in the days of the Civil War.

It's one of the Army's biggest bases, and it's right smack in the middle of El Paso. Which base is it?

At more than 1 million acres, Fort Bliss is a massive Army base in Texas. It's also the home to the 1st Armored Division, a famed division that spent decades in post-war Germany.

It's where you'll find North American Aerospace Defense Command, and it's in Colorado Springs. Which base is it?

Peterson Air Force Base, in Colorado Springs, was built during WWII as an air base for the Rocky Mountain region. Now, it's a critical headquarters for all manner of air- and space-related endeavors.

It's home to the 20th Fighter Wing and located near Sumter, South Carolina. Which base is it?

Shaw Air Force Base is home to the United States Air Force 20th Fighter Wing. It's also downright huge -- so big that it has its own railroad.

About HowStuffWorks Play

How much do you know about dinosaurs? What is an octane rating? And how do you use a proper noun? Lucky for you, HowStuffWorks Play is here to help. Our award-winning website offers reliable, easy-to-understand explanations about how the world works. From fun quizzes that bring joy to your day, to compelling photography and fascinating lists, HowStuffWorks Play offers something for everyone. Sometimes we explain how stuff works, other times, we ask you, but we’re always exploring in the name of fun! Because learning is fun, so stick with us!

Explore More Quizzes