Fort Lewis, named after the explorer Meriwether Lewis, was established partly through the efforts of Tacoma and Pierce County citizens. A group of Tacomans comprised of Stephan Appleby, Jesse O. Thomas and Frank S. Baker, publisher of The Tacoma News and Tribune, went to the War Department in Washington D.C. and spoke for the citizens of Pierce County when they offered to donate 140 square miles to the Army if a permanent military installation were established. Their proposal was eventually presented to President Wilson, who added his endorsement.

On January 6, 1917, 86 percent of the Pierce County Electorate voted to bond themselves for 20 years for $2 million to purchase 70,000 acres of prairie land south of Tacoma for federal military use. Called Camp Lewis at the time, it was the first military installation in the history of our nation to be created as the direct result of an outright gift of land by citizens themselves. Camp Lewis officially passed out of the hands of Pierce County and the state of Washington on November 15,1919. It became the property of the United States government.

Today, Fort Lewis consists of 135 square miles of woodlands, prairies and lakes. Rated by the Department of Defense as the second best installation in the U.S., it is one of the largest and most important U.S. military facilities. As the home of I Corps (America's Corps), approximately 20,000 uniformed personnel and 5,000 civilian employees live and/or work at the post.

Madigan Army Medical Center is the largest tenant on the post, featuring 414 beds and a staff of 2,800 military and civilian personnel. Interstate 5 bisects Fort Lewis about 15 miles south of Tacoma.

McChord Air Force Base was established in 1935 on property previously owned by the county, which served as a dirt air strip known both as Tacoma Field and Pierce County Airport. Named in honor of Col. William C. McChord, it was the country's largest bomber pilot training installation during World War II. The Air Force has upgraded the base infrastructure to accomodate the C-17 Globemaster III. More than 3,500 uniformed and 2,000 civilian personnel are assigned to the 4,639-acre facility, which is home to the 62nd Airlift Wing and the 446th Airlift Wing (Reserve). McChord has a contiguous boundary with Fort Lewis.

These installations contribute nearly $1.5 billion to the local economy.