This US Military Branch Has an Outsized Presence in North Dakota

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• With more than 2.5 million people on payroll, the Department of Defense is the largest employer in the United States.
• The bulk of DOD employees are active-duty service members, who can be deployed to combat at any time.
• While these men and women are stationed across the country, the presence of several major bases in North Dakota has made the state a critical hub for American military operations.
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The Department of Defense has a work force of about half a million more people than Walmart, the world's largest private sector employer. Of the nearly 2.6 million Americans employed by the DOD, only about 734,000 are civilians, and the rest are active-duty troops, reservists, and National Guardsmen.

Across all service branches in the U.S. military, there are over 1.1 million active-duty service members and an additional 743,000 reserve troops and Guardsmen. Although it falls under purview of the Department of Homeland Security, rather than the DOD, the U.S. Coast Guard employs another 57,000 Americans. The backbone of American military power, these men and women are stationed across the country -- but in certain states, the presence of military personnel is far more pronounced than in others. (Here is a look at the number of active-duty service members in each state. )

While multiple branches have troops stationed in North Dakota, the U.S. Air Force has an especially large footprint. The U.S. Air Force traces its roots back to 1907, when it was established as the U.S. Army Signal Corps. The Air Force spun off from the Army in 1947 under the National Security Act, becoming an independent military branch. Today, there are over 265,600 active-duty men and women serving in the Air Force.

Currently, North Dakota is home to the second highest per capita concentration of active-duty Air Force personnel among the 50 states. According to data from the DOD's 2022 Demographics Profile , there are about 7,200 men and women serving in the Air Force in North Dakota, or about 92 for every 10,000 people in the state. For comparison, there are only 8 active-duty Air Force service members for every 10,000 people nationwide.

North Dakota's status as a hub for the U.S. Air Force is due in large part to the presence of several major installations. These include Grand Forks Air Force Base, located just outside the city of Grand Forks, and Minot Air Force Base in Ward County. (Here is a look at the newest U.S. military bases .)

This is the number of active-duty and reserve troops, from each branch of the U.S. military, stationed in North Dakota.

Why It Matters

There are over 1.1 million active-duty troops and another 743,000 reservists and Guardsmen serving in the U.S. military. To maintain preparedness for a host of rising threats, these men and women are stationed at bases across the country. While the U.S. military has a footprint in every state in the country, the Air Force has an especially strong presence in North Dakota.

U.S. Army

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