The U.S. military can be a sensitive lot when it comes to the location of their military facilities.
With military bases on every continent, in every corner of the world, for the kinds of tasks they perform, it’s no wonder that many of the locations are blacked out and hidden from public view.
The Pentagon says there are around 5,000 bases in total with around 600 overseas.
Josh Begley, a data artist, decided to set himself the task of mapping all known U.S. military bases around the world, and collect satellite pictures of them using Google and Bing Maps.
The project was inspired by Trevor Paglen’s book ‘Blank Spots on the Map’ which goes inside the world of secret military bases that are sometimes censored on maps.
Begley has found the coordinates for 650 bases, and published pictures for 644 of them. The pictures can be viewed at http://empire.is/.
South Korea: Garrison Yongsan is home to the headquarters for the U.S. military presence in South Korea. The garrison previously served as headquarters for the Imperial Japanese Army from 1910 to 1945
Louisiana: Camp Minden is the site of the former Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant, once the major area employer. In 1941, the Federal Government acquired 15,868 acres of farms, farmland and private lands for its construction
Holland: It was believed that since the early 1960s, USAF nuclear weapons were stored at Volkel Air Base, to be used by the host nation’s aircraft. This could be why the area is blocked out and hidden from public view
Western Australia: Naval Communication Station Holt – This is the most powerful transmission station in the Southern Hemisphere. ‘Never heard of the site before, but it’s strangely beautiful from above,’ Begley said
Kenya: Camp Simba – Jeremy Scahill exposes this base in his award-winning book “Dirty Wars,” where he describes it as a “launching pad” for the Joint Special Operations Command, the secretive elite military organization that comprises the Navy SEALs
Djibouti: In 2012, the Economist described this base in Djibouti as ‘the most important base for drone operations outside the war zone of Afghanistan.’ It was recently forced to relocate its fleet of drones after worries they could collide into planes
Yucca Dry Lake: This site is part of the Tonopah Test Range, where Lockheed Martin reportedly tests ‘experimental unmanned aerial vehicles’ on a secluded airstrip east of the lake, according to Trevor Paglen’s book, Blank Spots on the Map
Abu Ghraib Prison: The infamous Iraqi prison where Saddam Hussein held political prisoners, and where U.S. soldiers were later caught torturing inmates. ‘When I think of Abu Ghraib I think of photographs and headlines; scandal,’ Begley explained
Nevada: Hawthorne Army Depot is a U.S. Army ammunition storage depot located near the town of Hawthorne in western Nevada in the United States. It stores reserve ammunitions to be used after the first 30 days of a major conflict
Bucholz Army Airfield: The airfield is located on Kwajalein Island, Marshall Islands. Its position is ideal for refueling during trans-Pacific flights, and the airport is available to civilians through Air Marshall Islands and United Airlines
Germany: Büchel Air Base is a military air base in Germany. Since 1985 the Panavia Tornado is operated from the base, which is capable of delivering B61 nuclear weapons which are stored and maintained by the USAF
Arizona: Fort Huachuca is 15 miles (24 km) north of the border with Mexico. Beginning in 1913, for 20 years the fort was the base for the ‘Buffalo Soldiers’, the 10th Cavalry Regiment
Nebraska: Greenlief Training Site – Current footprint of the Nebraska National Guard Training Site. Formerly home to the largest naval munitions plant from 1942-1946
Minnesota: Camp Ripley has a winter warfare training course and is the primary facility used by the National Guard for winter combat exercises. Camp Ripley also hosts the training academy for the Minnesota State Patrol
Mississippi: Naval Air Station Meridian or NAS Meridian is a military airport and is one of the Navy’s two jet strike pilot training facilities. It opened in 1961
North Carolina: Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point is located in Havelock, North Carolina, USA, in the eastern part of the state. It was built in 1941, and was commissioned in 1942 and is currently home to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Massachusetts: Otis Air National Guard Base is an Air National Guard installation located within the Massachusetts Military Reservation, a military training facility, located on the western portion of Cape Cod
New York: The Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy. It sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, 50 miles north of New York City
