Sailors at Naval Station Mayport
The military provides an important training ground for businesses in Northeast Florida
and has spawned a growing aerospace industry.
Besides those military installations,
Jacksonville is also home to the Fleet
Readiness Center Southeast, the region’s largest
industrial employer with a workforce of about 3,000
civilian employees, 1,000 military personnel and 1,000
contractors.
Jacksonville’s port, in addition to its commercial
activity, has the U.S. Marine Corps’ Blount Island
Command, which provides prepositioning services for the
Marines and employs nearly 1,000.
The military provides an important training ground for
businesses in the region, as a large number of veterans
decide to stay in Northeast Florida after retirement. More
than 3,000 veterans a year join the region’s workforce.
JACKSONVILLE AND NORTHEAST FLORIDA SPONSORED SECTION 27
A Mighty
Military
Presence
Fleet Readiness Center Southeast
Northeast Florida is a dynamic business center, but
when it comes to the area’s biggest job generator,
the U.S. military dwarfs the region’s corporate
employers.
The region has about 75,000 active duty, reserve and
civilian personnel, accounting for 14% of the area’s
workforce.
Jacksonville is home to two important U.S. Navy
facilities. Naval Station Mayport, home to the Navy’s
4th Fleet, is a seaport and air facility that employs
about 13,000 military personnel.
Naval Air Station Jacksonville, on the city’s Westside
along the St. Johns River, has about 12,000 military
personnel and 7,000 civilian employees.
A third U.S. Navy base, Naval Submarine Base Kings
Bay in nearby Southeast Georgia, brings another 5,000
military and 2,000 civilian employees to the region.
Away from the water, the Camp Blanding Joint
Training Center in Clay County is a major training site
for the Florida National Guard.
Regional Defense Impact
$13.1 BILLION
Regional Economic Impact
$4.9 BILLION
Direct Defense Spending
124,000
JOBS
PETTY OFFICER 2ND CLASS TIMOTHY SCHUMAKER / U.S. NAVY (TOP)