Few states are so dependent on soldiers, sailors and ships

EVEN with two wars to wage, the Pentagon has to make do with less in hard times. The defence secretary, Robert Gates, this week announced $100 billion in spending cuts over the next five years. “The culture of endless money that has taken hold must be replaced by a culture of savings and restraint,” he said.

These were not welcome words in Virginia. The Pentagon itself stands in Arlington, on the south bank of the Potomac river. The only shipyard in the country that builds nuclear aircraft-carriers is in Newport News. And at Fort Lee, outside Petersburg, the army stages a competition every year to pick its best cooks. ...