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Northwest Florida Defense Coalition

Our Mission

To actively facilitate community support to sustain and enhance current military missions at both Naval Air Station Pensacola and Naval Air Station Whiting Field, while also pursuing future missions and promoting the region’s contributions to the nation’s defense.

Northwest Florida is home to one of the nation’s highest concentrations of active duty and civilian military personnel, veterans, and military retirees. The region hosts four installations: NAS Pensacola, NAS Whiting Field, Corry Station, and Saufley Field. In Escambia County and Santa Rosa County, military activity generates over $8.3 billion in regional impact and over 52 percent of the economy. NASP alone supports 126 tenant commands, which employs more than 16,000 military personnel and 7,400 civilian employees. NASWF is the “busiest Naval Air Station” in the world, with 12,000 acres, including 12 outlying fields with three separate and fully operational airfields.

In recognition of the tremendous economic value the military provides our communities, the Northwest Florida Defense Coalition (NWFDC) was established in 2023. Our mission is to actively facilitate community support to sustain and enhance current military missions at both Naval Air Station Pensacola and Naval Air Station Whiting Field while also pursuing future missions and promoting the region’s contributions to the nation’s defense.

$8B

TOTAL REGIONAL ECONOMIC IMPACT

27K

MILITARY AND CIVILIAN PERSONNEL

70K

JOBS SUPPORTED

84K

VETERANS

52%

OF THE REGIONAL ECONOMY

20K

MILITARY RETIREES

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NAS Pensacola

In addition to hosting the Naval Education Training Command headquarters, NAS Pensacola supports 94 DoD and 31 non-DoD tenant commands, most of which are primarily dedicated to training Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard personnel in naval aviation. Other Major tenant commands include:

  • The Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Team
  • Naval Aviation Schools Command
  • Information Warfare Training Command
  • Naval Air Technical Training Center
  • Marine Aviation Training Support Group 21 and 23
  • USAF 479th Flying Training Group
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NAS Whiting Field

Every Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard helicopter pilot receives their initial rotary winged training at NASWF. More than 60% of all primary flight training is performed here. Tenant commands include:

  • Training Air Wing Five
  • Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) Maintenance Detachment
  • Center for Aviation Technical Training (CNATT) Detachment

Join the Mission

Your support allows us to advance the shared priorities of our communities and military installations through collaboration and advocacy at the local, state, and national levels.

Become a partner and help grow the military missions in Northwest Florida.

Become a Member