Joint Base Langley-Eustis

Joint Base Langley-Eustis is the combination of both Fort Eustis and Langley Air Force Base. Ordered by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC), this new base formally originated in 2010. Now located in Hampton and Newport News, this base gives incoming service members many choices when it comes to selecting nearby homes. These parts of Hampton Roads welcome newcomers to their inviting neighborhoods.

Before merging, the southeast division of the new base was officially called Langley Air Force Base, named for physicist, Samuel Pierpont Langley. Since its inception in 1916, this military air base remains one of the oldest to offer constant air service throughout the years. This part of the base was used in World War I for a variety of reasons and in World War II, the base developed special apparatuses used to detect and sink enemy submarines. Staying true to its roots, this section of Joint Base Langley-Eustis is known for housing the Langley wind tunnel, fighter squadrons and at least one fighter wing.

Home to the U.S. Army Transportation Corps, the northwestern branch of the combined base was once simply called, Fort Eustis. Named after Abraham Eustis, a Brevet Brigadier General who became the first commander of Fort Monroe. Formerly opened in 1923, this installation is now one of just over a dozen locations for the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) activities. Much of the Fort Eustis side of Joint Base Langley-Eustis was referred to by early Colonists as Mulberry Island. Fort Eustis has a long history of success: this land provided a fresh start for the settlers who began thriving here after experiencing severe hardships in Jamestown.

Unlike many bases joined due to BRAC demands, Langley Air Force Base and Fort Eustis are not side by side: they are some 17 miles apart. The northwestern section of Joint Base Langley-Eustis is in Newport News near the Surry and Isle of Wight County lines. Hampton houses the southeastern portion of the newly realigned base, which sits near the Poquoson border. Active duty stationed here have several options when it comes to choosing a new home. Neighborhoods are available in the larger metropolitan areas of Hampton and Newport News but there are also smaller, more rural areas like Seaford, Grafton and Poquoson.

Peninsula living in Hampton Roads can literally look like it came right out of the pages of a vacation magazine. The climate is temperate and the natural sites are seemingly endless with an abundant supply of creeks, rivers, bays, marshes, woodlands and lakes. Popular outdoor activities include golfing, cycling, canoeing, rowing, sailing and tennis. Builders continue developing new home communities and buyers who like older homes can find plenty of established neighborhoods with loads of charm. The Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel (HRBT) connects this side of southeastern Virginia to the southside so residents can go exploring. Joint Base Langley-Eustis may bring newcomers here but it's the area itself that makes people stay.