Naval Air Station Pensacola

Naval Air Station Pensacola (NAS Pensacola), also known as Forrest Sherman Field, is a United States Navy base located near Pensacola, Florida. Established in 1913, it is recognized as "The Cradle of Naval Aviation." The base serves as the initial primary training facility for all U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard officers pursuing designation as naval aviators and naval flight officers. It also provides advanced training for most naval flight officers and is the home base for the United States Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels. The station is operational and owned by the Department of Defense, operated by the U.S. Navy, and controlled by Navy Region Southeast.

NAS Pensacola hosts Training Air Wing SIX (TRAWING 6), which includes Training Squadron 4 (VT-4) "Warbucks," Training Squadron 10 (VT-10) "Wildcats," and Training Squadron 86 (VT-86) "Sabrehawks," operating T-45C Goshawk and T-6A Texan II aircraft for undergraduate flight training. It also accommodates the 479th Flying Training Group (479 FTG) of the U.S. Air Force, which conducts Undergraduate Combat Systems Officer Training (UCSOT) using T-6A Texan II and T-1A Jayhawk aircraft. Other tenant activities include the 2nd German Air Force Training Squadron USA. The base contains Forrest Sherman Field, which became operational in 1954 for fixed-wing operations.

Historically, the site was a Spanish fort and later the Pensacola Navy Yard, established in 1825. It played a role in the Civil War, being surrendered to secessionists in 1861 and later largely destroyed. Rebuilt after the war, it was designated a naval aeronautical station in 1914. During World War I and World War II, NAS Pensacola significantly expanded its training capacity. The base also hosts the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC), Naval Aerospace Medical Institute (NAMI), and Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) Pensacola. Notable features include the National Naval Aviation Museum, Fort Barrancas, and the Pensacola Lighthouse and Museum. In 2019, the installation was the site of a terrorist attack.