In this series, Clearance Jobs will take a look at booming “spy cities” across the country and around the world—cities that have seen massive growth as hubs for intelligence agencies and activities.
Under watch of the Huachuca Mountains and only fifteen miles north of the Mexican border, the city of Sierra Vista, in the county of Cochise in Arizona, isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you think of high-tech espionage and intelligence analysis. In 1877, when Samuel Whitside, an Army captain, ordered the construction of a military outpost in the area, he did so in part for practical considerations. Nearby streams would afford an endless supply of fresh water for his men and horses, and oak trees growing in the valley would provide needed wood. Whitside described the site as “everything that could be desired for a permanent Military Post,” and called it “by far in every respect, the most desirable point for one in all Southern Arizona.”
The post, indeed permanent, was Camp Huachuca—today Fort Huachuca1. Going back to the earliest days, it has been Sierra Vista’s anchor point. It provided security to the area following the Apache Wars, defending against everything from Mexican bandits to American outlaws. The laying of railroad lines brought pioneers and settlers, and the opening of a post office facilitated a reliable and steady communication network. There was no turning back for the settlement. In the 137 years since its founding, Sierra Vista’s population has grown to 43,888; when the surrounding metropolitan area is included, its population is nearly 130,000 in total. Over the years it has played host to 10th Cavalry’s legendary Buffalo Soldiers, and later the 92nd and 93rd Infantry Divisions, each destined for service in the European and Pacific theaters of World War II. It was the forward headquarters for the Geronimo campaign in the late 19th century. It was even a backup landing site for the space shuttle.
A MILITARY NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER
Today, Fort Huachuca is host to a vital part of the nation’s intelligence apparatus. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM) is the heart of the U.S. Army’s cyberspace presence, responsible for the planning, implementation, and defense of the information technology infrastructure. Meanwhile, the U.S. Army Intelligence Center trains enlisted soldiers, warrant officers, and officers of the Military Intelligence Corps. If that weren’t enough, 2nd Battalion, 13th Aviation Regiment, a tenant unit at Ft. Huachuca, also trains soldiers to operate and maintain unmanned aerial vehicles, including MQ-1C Gray Eagles, RQ-7B Shadows, and RQ-5 Hunters. Also of note is the Joint Interoperability Test Command, which tests new warfighter information technologies, and new applications of said technologies, for each branch of the armed forces, ensuring compatibility and effectiveness.
The point is that whether it’s expanding frontier lands of the Old West or defending futuristic frontiers in the sky and on the Internet, Fort Huachuca has always been a cornerstone of national security. And because the Army post is so oriented toward cyber security and advanced technology, defense contractors have established major presences in Sierra Vista as well. Advanced warfighters, after all, require advanced support. Even the most casual search of Clearance Jobs will turn up scores of Sierra Vista jobs ranging from computer programmer to military intelligence concepts developer.
Among the most notable defense contractors presently hiring in the area include Smartronix, which focuses on network operations and cyber security; Raytheon, which is there associated with military intelligence training and systems; TASC, a key player in modernizing intelligence operations and technologies at Ft. Huachuca; and Northrop Grumman, which in addition to its work with cyber operations and unmanned aerial vehicles, also supports efforts to secure the border between the United States and Mexico—a task in which Ft. Huachuca, as you might imagine, has a key role.
LIFE IN SIERRA VISTA
For those planning to relocate there for work, the question is what is life like in Sierra Vista? It’s certainly a city on the rise. Since 2000, its population has grown by a staggering 18%. According to census statistics, the median age of residents is 33.1; by way of comparison, the median age in Washington D.C. is 33.8. (And Sierra Vista is about as far from Washington D.C. as you can get without a passport.) The division by gender is pretty even, at 50.9% males to 49.1% females. The median household income is $56,433. (The full breakdown of statistics can be found here. Information on each of the city’s schools can be found here.)
These are dry numbers, of course. One of the city’s virtues is that it is a military town in addition to an intelligence town. As such, it is well-suited to newcomers and in possession of that reliably generic cross-section of business chains. It has a small shopping mall with the usual stores, from Dillards to Victoria’s Secret; a 10-screen Cinemark movie theater; and the usual Applebees-class restaurants. For any larger shopping and entertainment needs, Tucson is a 75-minute drive away.
The real entertainment, though, is its natural splendor. The area is a conservationist’s paradise, whose great outdoors are defined by every natural feature you might want, from mountains and creeks to canyons and orchards. There are day hikes, running clubs, and triathlons. The mountainsides are rife with ancient petroglyphs. But placing aside the rich history of the region, and the city’s vital role in national defense, and even its parks and mountain trails, there’s one overpowering reason to justify Sierra Vista: it is the hummingbird capital of the United States. That might not be why Captain Whitside established Camp Huachuca, but it probably didn’t hurt.
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1 Camp Huachuca was upgraded to “fort” in 1882. As formalized by War Department General Order 79 in 1878, the difference between the two designations is one of permanence. In short, if a post was likely to stick around, it was deemed a fort. You might also be wondering how posts are named. Historically, names have been a result of federal, regional, and local pressures. That’s why southern states tend to have installations named after Confederate generals (e.g. Henry Benning and Leonidas Polk). Some posts are named after geographic features (e.g. the Huachuca Mountains and Grand Forks). Today, there’s an elaborate system in place to determine what gets named after whom, and this extends from military installations on down to streets. With respect to Army facilities, the Assistant Secretary of Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) names installations; the director of the Installation Management Agency names pretty much everything else, excluding medical installations or anything related to the United States Military Academy. Jurisdiction there belongs to the commander of U.S. Army Medical Command and the superintendent of the United States Military Academy, respectively.
