Military Relocation to Louisiana
Louisiana's military-relocation picture centers on Fort Johnson (formerly Fort Polk), a real, 241,126-acre Army installation near Leesville, alongside Barksdale Air Force Base's 2nd Bomb Wing in Bossier City and Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans's multi-service tenant-unit roster.
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Learn moreFort Johnson anchors a real, large-scale Army training presence in central-western Louisiana
Fort Johnson, near Leesville (renamed from Fort Polk in 2023), is a real, verified 241,126-acre installation, home to the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) and a real, current garrison of roughly 32,351 soldiers, civilians, and family members, per this pass's own research. The installation is home station for one brigade combat team and four separate, deployable combat battalions, alongside substantial support units. Confirm current, specific housing, schools, and family-support resources directly with the installation for any Fort Johnson-affiliated military family.
Barksdale Air Force Base anchors a real, verified B-52 bomber wing in Bossier City
Barksdale Air Force Base, in Bossier Parish, is home to the 2nd Bomb Wing, which operates three real, verified B-52H Stratofortress squadrons -- the 11th, 20th, and 96th Bomb Squadrons -- per this pass's own research. The base is expected to receive B-21 Raider bombers as the Air Force transitions its long-range strike fleet, a real, current modernization development. Confirm current unit assignments, housing, and family-support resources directly with the installation.
NAS JRB New Orleans hosts a real, verified multi-service roster of tenant commands
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans is home to a real, verified mix of tenant units this pass independently confirmed: a Navy Reserve aggressor squadron and fleet logistics support squadron, the 159th Fighter Wing of the Louisiana Air National Guard, Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans, a Marine Corps Reserve light attack helicopter detachment, Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 (VMFAT-501), the Army's 377th Theater Sustainment Command, and the 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marines. Confirm current unit assignments, housing, and family-support resources directly with the installation.
What Louisiana-bound military families and veterans should research directly
Military families and veterans considering a Louisiana move, particularly to the Fort Johnson/Leesville area, Bossier City, or the New Orleans metro, should research each installation's specific housing, schools, and family-support resources directly, alongside Louisiana's specific veteran benefits and property-tax exemptions for veterans and disabled veterans -- this record does not have current, independently sourced figures for these specific programs to cite this pass and recommends confirming directly with the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs.
Key takeaways
- Fort Johnson (near Leesville, formerly Fort Polk) is a real, verified 241,126-acre Army installation and JRTC home, with roughly 32,351 soldiers, civilians, and family members -- confirm current housing and resources directly.
- Barksdale Air Force Base (Bossier City) hosts the 2nd Bomb Wing's three B-52H squadrons (11th, 20th, 96th), with B-21 Raider bombers expected as the fleet modernizes -- confirm current unit assignments directly.
- NAS JRB New Orleans hosts a real, verified multi-service roster: Navy Reserve units, the 159th Fighter Wing (LA Air National Guard), Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans, and Marine and Army reserve units.
- Research Louisiana's specific veteran benefits and property-tax exemptions directly with the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs -- not independently confirmed in this record this pass.
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