NAS Pensacola, the first United States Naval Air Station, was created in 1914 and is located in Escambia County, Florida. At that time, naval aviation consisted of 9 officers, 23 mechanics, and 8 airplanes. Today, NAS Pensacola consists of 6,000 acres and is the home to 50 tenant commands that include:

Chief of Naval Education and Training (CNET)
The headquarters of CNET, one of the largest Navy shore commands, is located on board NAS Pensacola. The command is headed by a Vice Admiral who is the senior ranking officer in the area, reporting directly to the Chief of Naval Operations. CNET is responsible for training and education of all Navy and Marine Corps personnel worldwide. The training includes recruit, technical skill, pre-commissioning for officers, warfare specialty, on and off-duty education programs, and foreign students from many nations.

Naval Aviation Schools Command prepares officer candidates for commissioned status and provides both indoctrination and ground training for all warfare designator student officers, officer candidates, aviation ordnance officers, aviation maintenance officer, and naval air crewman trainees. The school also provides specialized indoctrination programs for Limited Duty officers and Chief Warrant Officers. This command comprised of four schools: Officer Candidate School, Aviation Training School, Aviation Enlisted Air Crew Training School, and Officer Training School. The Command is staffed by approximately 400 officer, enlisted and civilian employees who assist in the training of 13,000 students annually.

Training Air Wing SIX is headquartered at NAS Pensacola's Sherman Field, TRAWING SIX encompasses primary, intermediate, and advanced Naval Flight Officer, Air Force Navigator, ;and International flight Officer training. The Wing's mission is to plan for, supervise, and support the quality training to fulfill the needs of the Fleet and operational Air Forces. TRAWING SIX provides liaison between local operational units and CNET.

Helicopter Landing Trainer (HLT) IX-514 was originally designed as a military version of a commercial craft and employed by the U.S. Army as a harbor utility craft. The HLT was towed to NAS Pensacola in 1986 and converted into a Helicopter Landing Trainer. The diesel powered trainer provides day and night deck landing qualifications in the Gulf of Mexico and Pensacola Bay for the Navy's undergraduate helicopter training program, as well as pilots from the Coast Guard, Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and civilian contractors. There have been more than 36,000 accident-free landings to date.

Naval Aerospace Medical Research Lab (NAMRL) is one of the premier research facilities for the causes and cures of disorientation sickness. The primary responsibility of the research laboratory is to conduct research, test and evaluate aviation medicine and allied sciences to enhance the health, safety, and readiness of Navy and Marine Corps personnel in the performance of their missions.

Naval Aerospace & Operational Medical Institute (NAMI) provides professional and technical support and consultant services in operation-ally related Fleet and Fleet Marine Force medical matters worldwide. NAMI is best known for its training programs which lead to designations as a Naval Flight Surgeon, Aerospace Physiologist, Aerospace Experimental Psychologist, Aerospace Medicine Technician, or Aerospace Physiologist Technician.

U.S.A.F 17th Training Squadron or Water Survival Training Unit is a joint service effort between the Navy and the Air Force to train air crew in survival techniques for an over-water ejection. The squadron is collocated with Navy Water Survival Training to enhance joint training and seek inherent economies.

Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) is the newest tenant on board NAS Pensacola and is relocating from NAS Memphis as part of BRAC 93 approved realignments. NATTC "Campus Complex" is located on the site of the former Naval Aviation Depot which was closed. The center has a staff of approximately 1,600 military and civilian personnel and graduates approximately 18,000 Navy, Marine Corps, and foreign students yearly. The largest part of this student body is comprised of enlisted personnel attending basic schools designed to provide them with the knowledge and skill levels required to perform as technicians at the junior level. Advanced schools provide higher level technical knowledge for senior petty officer. When the relocation to Pensacola is complete, there will be approximately 110 courses taught at NATTC.

Defense Photography School consolidates photographic training within the Armed Services. Its mission is to provide basic and advanced photographic application and theory training to officers and enlisted personnel for the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Army, and Coast Guard as well as members of allied governments and personnel of other federal agencies.

U. S. Navy Demonstration Squadron (Blue Angels) perform at approximately 70 air shows at 40 locations throughout the United states and abroad. The mission of the Blue Angels is to enhance the Navy recruiting effort as they seek to attract talented and qualified youths to join them in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.

U.S. Coast Guard Station, Pensacola moved to NAS in 1987, having been part of Pensacola since 1885 but previously located on Santa Rosa Island. The station includes three Coast Guard Units: Station Pensacola, Aids to Navigation Team, and the Coast Guard Cutter Point Lobos. The facility is 12,000 square feet and employs 45 personnel.

National Museum of Naval Aviation is one of the largest air and space museums in the world, attracting more than half a million visitors annually. The museum houses more than 100 diverse authentic aircraft, including the NC-4 Flying Boat, the TBM Avenger, and Skylab Command Module, and the first F-14 Tomcat. The 130,000 square foot West Wing showcases an authentic replica of a World War II independence class carrier island and flight deck. Newly completed construction includes an IMAX theatre in the new entrance.