The largest US military installation in Maine is the Naval Air Station at Brunswick, home of a wing of anti-submarine patrol squadrons. Defense Department personnel in Maine totaled 2,689 active military and 5,791 civilians in 2002. State firms received $496 million in defense contracts in 2001. The largest recipient, General Dynamics, a division of which builds warships, is the state's largest private employer.
There were 154,590 veterans of US military service in Maine as of 2000, of whom 29,317 served in World War II; 19,794 in the Korean conflict; 46,434 during the Vietnam era; and 14,326 during 1990–2000 (including the Persian Gulf War). A total of $393 million in veterans' benefits were paid in 2002.
In 2000, the Maine State Police employed 325 full-time sworn officers.