In 2002, there were 11,254 active-duty military personnel and 6,704 civilian personnel stationed in New Mexico, 10,732 of whom were in the Air Force. The major installations are Kirtland Air Force Base in the Albuquerque area, Holloman Air Force Base at Alamogordo, and White Sands Missile Range north of Las Cruces. Defense contract awards totaled more than $ 763 million in 2002.
There were 190,718 veterans living in New Mexico according to the 2000 Census. Of these, 32,699 served in World War II; 21,942 in the Korean conflict; 57,340 during the Vietnam era; and 24,374 during 1990–2000 (including the Persian Gulf War). In 2002 total federal expenditures for veterans' programs amounted to nearly $545 million.
In 2000, the New Mexico State Police employed 525 full-time sworn officers.