To understand the way things are now, it is helpful to understand how they started and then changed along the way. The Space Force is as much a part of the Space Coast area as is NASA or any of its contractors — in fact, the Space Force has two bases in Brevard County that not only help provide for the nation’s defense, but also to its economy: companies with contracts or other business with the USSF are located in the region and in turn they purchase from their own suppliers, many of them locally or regionally based. That, of course, creates jobs, and those jobs pay good salaries that are then spread out through consumer spending. The end effect is profound.

Notes on source and government security classifications:

Retrieved February 10, 2024 from https://www.37trw.af.mil/About/History/USAF-Installation-Master-Plans-1953/

“The following maps are the official 1953 maps of  Air Force bases within the “Zone of the Interior,” now known as the continental United States.  Originally classified as “Restricted,” and subsequently classified as “For Official Use Only” due to the restricted classification being phased out.  The entire collection was declassified in accordance with official guidance by the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA).  The original documents are held at the 37th Training Wing Historical Office.”