For more than 60 years, the U.S. military used Vieques for military training and exercises. Vieques is an island located off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico, and the United States Navy utilized portions of the island as a training ground, primarily for naval and aerial bombing practice. This usage of Vieques by the U.S. military has been a subject of controversy and protest due to environmental and health concerns for the local population, which ultimately led to the cessation of military operations on the island in 2003.