model (born in Panama City, Florida) Preston Shumpert, basketball player, Syracuse forward and guard Akeem Spence, NFL (Miami Dolphins) defensive tackle, University of Illinois defensive tackle Joe Stanley, retired U.S. Air Force colonel, commander of Eglin Air Force Base during 1950s Danny Wuerffel, 1996 Heisman Trophy winner for Florida and quarterback for New Orleans Saints Economy The economy of Fort Walton Beach is driven by two primary factors: tourism and the military. There are two major Air Force bases which border Fort Walton Beach. Hurlburt Field is home to Headquarters, Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), the 1st Special Operations Wing, and the Joint Special Operations University. Eglin AFB is home to the Air Force Materiel Command's Air Armament Center and the 96th Air Base Wing, the 46th Test Wing, and Air Combat Command's 33rd Fighter Wing. Eglin is geographically one of the largest Air Force bases at , and thus home to joint exercises, and missile and bomb testing. For example, the 'Massive Ordnance Air Blast' or 'Mother of All Bombs' (MOAB) was first tested at Eglin AFB on March 11, 2003. There is support industry in the area that benefits from the presence of the bases, including military contractors and the service industry. The tourism industry is seasonal, with summer being the primary season, and a smaller peak season during spring break. The area also boasts a large snowbird population, which includes the Fort Walton Beach Snowbird Club. The Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival is held annually in June. Top employers According to Fort Walton Beach's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city were: Sister cities Quezon City, Philippines (since October 1977) Notes References External links City of Fort Walton Beach Official website Local Boating Events and Information The Beachcomber Newspaper Northwest Florida Daily News Cities in Okaloosa County, Florida Populated places on the Intracoastal Waterway in Florida Beaches of Florida Populated places established in 1941 Cities in Florida Beaches of Okaloosa County, Florida 1941 establishments in Florida