As the second-largest metropolitan area in Illinois, the Belleville area is part of the metro-east, a bustling, diverse region just outside St. Louis, Mo. The award-winning BND is the leading digital news organization in southwestern Illinois, a welcoming place to live and work. The metro-east is also the home of Scott Air Force Base, a major logistics hub for the U.S. military. Many who serve there choose to retire in the region, home to an estimated 18,000 military retirees.