"Securing the Sound" examines the development of the long relationship between Puget Sound communities and the military, providing a case study of the militarization of a particular region within the United States and the changing nature of civilian-military relations over the course of the 20 th century. Starting in the late 19 th century, the federal government established a variety of military installations in the Puget Sound area and these have helped to shape the region's economy, society and culture. The defense presence in the region expanded as both the role of the U.S. in the Pacific area and the power of the federal government increased beginning in the late 1800s. Wars and periods of international tension saw the role played by the armed services in the region grow even further. Although the region's relationship with the military developed largely due to its strategic geographic location, local communities also traditionally lobbied for the military presence. Business interests and local governments welcomed the defense presence as a source of economic security in a region that was relatively isolated and economically underdeveloped until after World War II. Although local communities sometimes chafed against the exercise of power by the armed services, especially over issues such as the control of vice and alcohol, in general the civilian-military relationship in the region was mutually beneficial and friendly.
Beginning in the late 1960s, however, cultural changes in American society created challenges to the traditional civilian-military partnership. Anxieties about the impact of large-scale developments on the region's landscape and the quality of life enjoyed by its residents helped to spur opposition to several military projects. Concerns about nuclear weapons and opposition to the role played by the military in U.S. foreign policy also encouraged some segments of the region's society to oppose further military investment in the area. While the military remains a major presence in the region, by the late 20 th century it increasingly faced a much more critical reception from some Puget Sound residents.
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