More than 60,000 military veterans live in Virginia Beach.

That’s a big number: Other similarly sized cities – Atlanta, Long Beach, Raleigh – have roughly a third that many former military members. Naval Air Station Oceana is the 74-year-old base that handles more than 60,000 takeoffs and landings a year. Add in the other bases in Virginia Beach – Dam Neck, Little Creek, and Fort Story – and you have the city’s biggest employer by far. Oceana alone requires the help of nearly 15,000 military personnel and 2,000 civilians. We visited this Navy Town to see what it was like in this oceanside destination.