article_snippet: Fort Walton Beach is owned by the military and is used for test missions.
article_snippet: an area includes 20 miles of pristine beachfront that has been under the control of the military since before World War II.
article_snippet: Military police keep a close watch on an area and have been known to run off private vendors who rent jet skis or paddle boards without permission.
article_snippet: Test range manager Glenn Barndollar said in August that Fort Walton Beach provides an ideal training area for special operations units from all branches of the military to practice over the water, on Fort Walton Beach and in the bay.
article_snippet: the military sometimes drops trainees over the water using boats or helicopters and the trainees must make the trainees way onshore.