In 2002, there were 8,462 active-duty military personnel and 2,072 civilian personnel stationed in Nevada. The largest installation is the Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas. The state has been the site of both ballistic missile and atomic weapons testing. In 2001, Nevada firms received about $324 million in federal defense contracts.
As of 2000, 238,128 military veterans were living in the state, including 36,062 of World War II; 28,441 of the Korean conflict; 71,415 from the Vietnam era; and 29,080 of 1990–2000 (including the Persian Gulf War). Veterans' benefits in 2002 totaled more than $347 million.
In 2000, the Nevada Highway Patrol employed 414 full-time sworn officers.