Military Establishments in Colorado Springs

National defense is big business in Colorado Springs.  Fort Carson, Peterson Air Force Base, the Air Force Academy and Schriever Air Force Base have nearly 30,000 active duty personnel contributing over $2 billion to the local economy.  In addition there are more that 28,000 retirees receiving $94 million in retirement benefits.  There's over $48.2 million in new construction from local military installations.  About 40% of the area's economic output is dependent on the military and one of five jobs is related to defense.  Over one-third of the families in Colorado Springs are military.

Air Force Academy

While many cities in the United States have military bases within their boundaries, the presence of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs is a unique attribute. The Academy is the training ground for tomorrow's Air Force leaders. A scenic 18,000 acres are set aside for the training grounds and facilities for what has become a combination university and boot camp. Each year, nearly 10,000 men and women seek the 1,000 entering freshman slots. Currently, 3,951 cadets are schooled at the Academy.

Fort Carson
One of the Army’s youngest installations, Fort Carson sits on 137,000 acres just south of Colorado Springs.  Named after the famous frontiersman, Kit Carson, the fort was established in 1942 three weeks after Pearl Harbor.  Over the years, the post has grown to a military presence of over 15,000 soldiers and is served by over 4,400 civilian employees.  The post has been home to nine different infantry divisions since its creation in 1942.  In 1995, the move of 1,100 troops from the 10th Special Forces Group at Ft. Devens, Mass. to Ft. Carson was complete.  The Army invested $47 million for new barracks and administrative buildings for the Special Forces on base.  The Colorado Air National Guard also located its training at Ft. Carson, which has 97,000 tactical training acres down range in addition to Pinon Canyon.  About 4,200 Guard troops use the facilities; 1,000 acres are set aside for the Guard Training Center.  The major unit of the post was the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) that was activated in 1917 and saw service in the World Wars and Vietnam.  Although the 4th has now been deactivated, the mission of Ft. Carson remains as in the past, training troops to be combat ready. 

NORAD
The North American Air Defense Command is located beneath Cheyenne Mountain southwest of Colorado Springs. The complex inside the mountain consists of 15 steel buildings constructed in tunnels and chambers cut into the rock. Traditionally, NORAD has been poised to use high-tech radar to provide early warning of aircraft, missiles or space vehicles posing threat to the United States or Canada. With the diminished threat of nuclear attack because of the end of the Cold War, NORAD is among area military facilities seeking new applications for its technologies.

Peterson AFB
Peterson Air Force Base was originally known as the “Pete Field” when it was a fighter training post and a civilian airport before and during World War II.  Today, it is a vital part of national security protecting the United States and our North American neighbors.  It is the home of the U.S. Space Command and a number of agencies of the military.  Over 3,800 active military personnel work at Peterson.

Schriever AFB
Schriever AFB is home to the 50th Space Wing. Its mission is to provide command and control for Department of Defense military satellites and manage the Air Force Satellite Control Network. The wing operates satellite operations centers at Schriever AFB, remote tracking stations and other control facilities around the world. Schriever's major tenants are the Space Warfare Center, the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization's National Test Facility and the 310th Space Group.

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