Missouri has played a key role in national defense since World War II, partly because of the influence of Missouri native Stuart Symington, first as secretary of the Air Force (1947–50) and later as an influential member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. In 2002, there were 16,119 active-duty military personnel and 9,330 civilian personnel stationed in the state. Installations include Ft. Leonard Wood, near Rolla, and Whiteman AFB, Knob Noster. The Defense Mapping Agency Aerospace Center is in St. Louis. Defense contract awards for 2001 totaled nearly $5.19 billion.
There were about 592,271 veterans living in the state as of 2000. Of these, 114,795 served in World War II; 77,455 in the Korean conflict; 173,656 during the Vietnam era; and 60,764 during 1990–2000 (including the Persian Gulf War). Veterans' benefits amounted to about $1.4 billion in 2002.
In 2000, the Missouri State Highway Patrol employed 1,080 full-time sworn officers.