Since Guam became a territory in 1898, the United States has long maintained a significant military presence on the island to support and defend U.S. interests in the western Pacific Ocean region. Guam has been the home to many different military units over the past 60 years and was especially active during the Vietnam War as a way-station for U.S. bombers. DOD currently controls about 27 percent of the island. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Guam had a population of 159,358, an increase of 2.9 percent from the 2000 Census population of 154,805. DOD estimates that there are at least 16,400 military members and their dependents stationed on Guam. Most of the military members and dependents are attached to one of the two major military installations on the island: U.S. Naval Base Guam, located on the southwestern side of the island at Apra Harbor, and Andersen Air Force Base in the north.