We are home to MacDill Air Force Base and two, four-star Combatant Commands: U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) and U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Thirty-eight additional mission partners operate from MacDill AFB, in addition to specialized security and intelligence firms.
Tampa Bay has one of the largest veteran workforces in the nation, and our business community takes pride in our military workforce of roughly 92,000. Locally, a $14 billion military industry has developed around areas like cybersecurity and IT, intelligence and analysis, training and simulation, and advanced manufacturing. Defense-focused education programs ensure the students of today are trained for the jobs of tomorrow.
Each May, we host the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC), a three-day event presented by the Special Operations Research, Development and Acquisition Center (SORDAC) and the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) that identifies the top priorities and business opportunities available through USSOCOM acquisition programs. Nearly one in four business and information services firms in Florida call Tampa Bay home, including some of the top names in banking, finance, and insurance.
