Virginia
Virginia is a Commonwealth located on the Atlantic Coast of the United States. From north to west, Virginia is bordered by Maryland, the District of Columbia, the Atlantic Ocean, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia. Virginia encompasses 42,774 square miles and in 2009 was home to an estimated 7,882,590 residents (U.S. Census Bureau).
The capital of the Commonwealth is Richmond; Virginia Beach, a popular tourist destination, is the largest city in terms of population. The next two largest cities are Norfolk and Chesapeake. Richmond, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Chesapeake are all located in the coastal portion of Virginia. The majority of the Commonwealth's population is located in the coastal and northern portions of the state.
History is an important part of the fabric of Virginia. The founding of the Virginia Colony in 1607 by the Virginia Company of London was the first permanent settlement of Europeans in our nation. The Commonwealth was the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
Due to Virginia's close proximity to Washington, DC, numerous government agencies are headquartered in the northern portion of Virginia including: the Central Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon, the National Science Foundation and the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The unique natural coastal features of Virginia offer unique training opportunities the for the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and the Coast Guard. Virginia's coastal features range from dunes, soft and hard sand beaches, deep-water anchorage, and variable tide conditions from the gentle waters of the Chesapeake Bay to the vigorous surf of the Atlantic Ocean.
The large number of military installations in Virginia include the headquarters of the Department of Defense in Arlington, Virginia. There is one Air Force Base -- Langley Air Force Base, in Hampton ,VA -- and 7 Army Posts: Fort A.P. Hill, Fort Belvoir, Fort Eustis, Fort Lee, Fort Monroe, Fort Myer, and Fort Story. VA boasts three Coast Guard Bases: Coast Guard Atlantic Area, Coast Guard Integrated Support Center (disestablished), and the Coast Guard Reserve Training Center. One Marine Base is located in Virginia -- the Quantico Marine Base -- as well as seven Navy bases: Dahlgren Naval Surface Warfare Center, Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Norfolk Naval Station, Oceana Naval Air Station, Portsmouth Naval Medical Center and the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station. The Fort Pickett Army National Guard Maneuver Training Center is also located in Virginia.
The Department of Veteran Affairs State Summary lists the number of veterans in Virginia as 814,000 in 2008. Also in 2008, 13,104 veterans received inpatient care in VA health care facilities, and 6,166 Virginia veterans received post-conflict care from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan at either the Alexandria, Norfolk, Richmond, or Roanoke Veterans Readjustment Counseling Centers. The VA has special programs for those returning from service in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF).
Not all military service-related issues end when people are discharged from active duty; 117,715 Virginia veterans are receiving monthly disability compensation. Nationwide, about 43 percent of the total number of men and women leaving military service from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have sought VA health care since returning stateside.
