Dangers of Asbestos Exposure in the Military

Individuals who served the United States armed forces may have experienced asbestos exposure in the military. 

Asbestos is a dangerous substance that can lead to a number of diseases. Fortunately, individuals who have one or more asbestos-related diseases may be eligible for disability benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 

This guide will outline who may have been exposed to asbestos during military service and what these individuals should do next.

Who May Have Had Asbestos Exposure in the Military?

Veterans in all the military branches that served from the 1930s through the 1970s are at a high risk of developing Asbestos-related illnesses. 

Even veterans that may have served following this period are at an elevated risk of asbestos exposure as well. The U.S. Army and Air Force used asbestos in electric wiring, insulation, and in the brake pads and the clutches of vehicles. 

The U.S Navy, coast guard, and Marine Corp used it in ships and shipyards, airplanes, and other armored vehicles.

Even veterans who did not work with the material directly may have been exposed to asbestos hidden in their sleeping quarters or within other vehicles, weapons, or buildings like engine rooms. 

Vehicle mechanics were exposed to asbestos while performing routine maintenance work on wheeled vehicles. The toxic fibers were once buried in brake pads, clutches, bearings, and gaskets. 

Aircrafts also had asbestos in the rotors, fuel systems, hydraulic systems and other parts that required heat resistance, putting air force veterans at risk. 

Veterans who worked in close proximity to boiler systems, piping, or cooling systems are also at high risk. 

Navy ships had poor ventilation. An abundance of asbestos fibers often circulated throughout ship compartments, exposing sailors and marines. 

The toxic mineral was frequently released from insulation around pipes, engines, and boilers.

According to the VA, any veteran who worked in shipyards, construction, carpentry, demolition, mining, and milling should be tested for military asbestos exposure. 

The same goes for veterans who worked with insulation, pipes, roofing, flooring (such as floor tiles), cement sheets, and friction products.

Think about your MOS and what your individual duties were.

We’ll break down these risks in more detail below. Could you have been exposed?

Asbestos Exposure by Branch & Occupation

The Army

Asbestos exposure was the highest for soldiers between WWII and the 1980’s. This is because the use of asbestos in the Army increased as the branch expanded.

• Barracks
• Flooring
• Ceiling
• Electrical wiring
• Roofing
• Siding
• Insulation
• Vehicles
• Heating systems
• Brake pads
• Clutches
• Gaskets
• Aircraft (WWII era)
• Bombers
• Fighter planes
• Transportation aircraft

Servicemen who served in the Army may have had a higher chance of being exposed to asbestos if their duties were related to:

• Pipefitting
• Mining
• Milling
• Shipyard work
• Manufacture and servicing of friction products such as clutch facings and braking linings
• Insulation work
• Demolition of old buildings
• Carpentry and construction
• Manufacture and installation of products such as roofing and flooring materials, asbestos cement sheets, pipe products and military equipment

While it is widely recognized that servicemen between WWII and the 1980s have been exposed to asbestos in one way or another, it is become known that soldiers who recently served in Iraq were exposed as well. 

Iraq and other countries in the Middle East have been importing large amounts of asbestos in recent years for construction. 

It is quite possible that the strong desert winds could have spread asbestos for miles when buildings containing asbestos were demolished.

The Air Force

Asbestos was prevalent in aircraft because of its insulating and fire resistant properties. The aircraft mechanics had the highest risk of asbestos exposure n the Air Force.

Air Force Bases that were contaminated with asbestos:

• Buckley AFB, Aurora, CO
• Lowry, CO
• Ellsworth, SD
• Tinker, OK

Asbestos was used extensively in planes:

• Brakes
• Cockpit heating system
• Heat shields for engines
• Torque valves
• Gaskets
• Electrical wiring
• Insulation for cargo bays

The Marine Corps

Because the Marine Corps are present on ships, aircraft and armored vehicles, they have been exposed to asbestos as well. 

In fact, Marines had the same risks of asbestos exposure as Navy sailors. 

Prior to 1998, entire detachments of Marines were deployed on Navy vessels.

• On land
• Barracks/sleeping quarters
• Shipyards
• Military vehicles & transportation
• At sea
• Ships
• Smaller Naval vessels

The Navy

Navy veterans run the highest risk of asbestos-related illnesses. 

Although the Navy finally stopped filling Navy vessels with asbestos in the 1970s, the vessels that did contain asbestos remained in use for many years after production stopped. 

Because of the enormous amount of uses for asbestos on ships, and due to the confined spaces, Navy sailors constantly breathed in asbestos fibers.

Located in:

• Engine rooms
• Boiler rooms
• Weapons
• Storage rooms
• Mess halls
• Sleeping quarters
• Navigation rooms

Contained in:

• Cables
• Deck tiles
• Gaskets
• Valves
• Electrical wiring
• Insulation

Covered:

• Pipes
• Pumps
• Motors
• Condensers
• Compressors

Any construction, demolition, repair or renovation of ships (or naval buildings on land) exposed Navy soldiers to asbestos. 

Moreover, as ships aged, the asbestos fibers would become brittle, and any disturbance would make the fibers aireborne. Sailors on board warships often slept in bunks below asbestos-covered pipes. 

Personnel who worked below deck were at the highest risk because of where the most heat-resistant asbestos was used—in the engine and boiler rooms.

Occupations at risk:

• Boiler Technician
• Pipefitter/Shipfitter
• Hull Technician/welder
• Machinist Mate
• Shipbuilder
• Electricians Mate
• Steelworker
• Seabees
• Damage Controlman
• Machinery Repairman
• Gunners Mate
• Boatswains Mate
• Aviation Machinist Mate
• Aviation Boatswains Mate
• Storekeepers
• Firemen

Diseases Linked to Asbestos Exposure

Exposure to asbestos materials may put service members at higher risk for these asbestos-related illnesses:

Mesothelioma

• A rare, aggressive form of cancer that develops in the lining of the lungs, abdomen, and heart.
• Common Symptoms:
• Fluid build-up around the lungs
• Pain around the rib cage
• Breathing problems
• Pain or lumps in the belly
• Fatigue
• Constipation

Asbestosis

• A chronic inflammatory and scarring disease affecting the tissue of the lungs.
• Common Symptoms:
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Permanent lung damage
• Chest Pain
• Fingernails/toenails that look wide or round

Pleural Plaques

• Areas of fibrous thickening or scarring on the lining of the lungs or diaphragm
• Common Symptoms (although often people have no symptoms)
• Pain
• Persistent coughs
• Breathlessness

Lung Cancer

• The uncontrollable growth of abnormal cells that begins in one or both lungs.
• Common Symptoms (although often people have no symptoms)
• Cough
• Chest Pain
• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing or hoarseness
• Repeated respiratory infections

As you can see, asbestos products most often affect the lungs. However, these conditions may appear years after exposure. 

One of the main dangers of asbestos is that it can remain in the body for decades before having any effect. 

So, you may still experience an asbestos-related illness, no matter when you served in the military.

Another risk factor in combination with asbestos exposure for developing asbestos related diseases is smoking. 

While healthy lungs can often regenerate and remove the asbestos fibers from the lungs, the lungs of smokers have more difficulty. 

Smokers are at an even higher risk for developing asbestos related disease because cigarette smoke irritates the lung passages which makes it harder for the lungs to remove the asbestos fibers.

If your health care provider has diagnosed you with one of the above diseases, and you may have been exposed to asbestos during your time in the U.S. military, you may be eligible for disability compensation.

Asbestos Exposure & Mesothelioma

As mentioned above, mesothelioma is one of the most common conditions linked to asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelium caused by exposure to asbestos. 

The mesothelium is a thin membrane that protects and lubricates body cavities, such as the chest and abdominal cavity.

Mesothelioma

• A rare, aggressive form of cancer that develops in the lining of the lungs, abdomen, and heart.
  • Common Symptoms:
    • Fluid build-up around the lungs
    • Pain around the rib cage
    • Breathing problems
    • Pain or lumps in the belly
    • Fatigue
    • Constipation

Asbestosis

• A chronic inflammatory and scarring disease affecting the tissue of the lungs.
  • Common Symptoms:
    • Cough
    • Shortness of breath
    • Permanent lung damage
    • Chest Pain
    • Fingernails/toenails that look wide or round

Pleural Plaques

• Areas of fibrous thickening or scarring on the lining of the lungs or diaphragm
  • Common Symptoms (although often people have no symptoms)
    • Pain
    • Persistent coughs
    • Breathlessness

Lung Cancer

• The uncontrollable growth of abnormal cells that begins in one or both lungs.
  • Common Symptoms (although often people have no symptoms)
    • Cough
    • Chest Pain
    • Shortness of breath
    • Wheezing or hoarseness
    • Repeated respiratory infections

As you can see, asbestos products most often affect the lungs. However, these conditions may appear years after exposure. One of the main dangers of asbestos is that it can remain in the body for decades before having any effect. So, you may still experience an asbestos-related illness, no matter when you served in the military.

Another risk factor in combination with asbestos exposure for developing asbestos related diseases is smoking. While healthy lungs can often regenerate and remove the asbestos fibers from the lungs, the lungs of smokers have more difficulty. 

Smokers are at an even higher risk for developing asbestos related disease because cigarette smoke irritates the lung passages which makes it harder for the lungs to remove the asbestos fibers.

If your health care provider has diagnosed you with one of the above diseases, and you may have been exposed to asbestos during your time in the U.S. military, you may be eligible for disability compensation.

Asbestos Exposure & Mesothelioma

As mentioned above, mesothelioma is one of the most common conditions linked to asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelium caused by exposure to asbestos. The mesothelium is a thin membrane that protects and lubricates body cavities, such as the chest and abdominal cavity.

Types of Mesothelioma	Facts	Symptoms
Pleural	Accounts for 3 out of 4 mesothelioma diagnoses because most asbestos fibers in inhaled, lodging in the lining of the lungs	Effusions   Weight loss Shortness of breath Persistent dry cough Persistent chest pain Difficulty swallowing General fatigue
Peritoneal	Accounts for about 20% of all diagnoses. Caused by ingesting asbestos fibers.	Abdominal pain   Bowel irregularity General fatigue Seizures Ascites (fluid)
Pericardial	Rarest kind of mesothelioma. Caused by asbestos fibers working their way to the lining of the heart	Difficulty breathing   Chest pain General fatigue Weight loss Irregular heartbeat Fever Heart murmurs

Asbestos fibers, when ingested or inhaled, are very difficult for the body to expel, so the fibers end up in the membrane (mesothelium) surrounding the lungs, chest, stomach and abdomen, and in rare cases the heart. Over time, these fibers collect and agitate the membrane, causing damage to the cells and development of scar tissue.

This causes otherwise healthy cells to become abnormal and replicate constantly, which leads to the growth of tumors. These tumors most often grow on the scar tissue in the lungs, but they can develop in the stomach/abdominal lining as well.

Mesothelioma takes 20 to 50 years to manifest. Because this type of cancer takes so long to develop, the symptoms often occur without warning. Most patients are diagnosed with mesothelioma after experiencing a persistent cough or pneumonia-like symptoms.

The VA does not have a specific rating for mesothelioma. Instead, the VA uses ratings comparable to the conditions caused by mesothelioma, such as COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, and asbestosis (for pleural mesothelioma cases).

Applying for VA Benefits: How to Support Your VA Claim

If you had military exposure to asbestos, you may qualify for va benefit. 

Veterans may file a claim for disability compensation for lung problems that they believe are related to exposure to asbestos during military service. 

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, these benefits are available in the forms of VA health care and compensation.

It is important to provide any medical record evidence concerning your diagnosis and how you’re treating your condition. 

The VA states that the following are key parts of evidence and supporting documents :

• Medical records that state your illness or disability, and
• Service records that list your job or specialty, and
• A doctor’s statement that there’s a connection between your contact with asbestos during military service and the illness or disability

You’ll also be required to prove your exposure to asbestos in order to qualify for VA benefits. 

In order to do so, you will need to look at your military duties and examine how and when you were exposed. 

Providing a statement detailing the duties involved with your MOS, how you were exposed, and how often you were exposed will be beneficial in proving your claim. 

Remember, when proving service-connection, there must be a disease or disability diagnosed in medical records, proof of exposure in service, and a link between the two. 

Unlike Agent Orange, there is no presumption for Asbestos Exposure so you will need to provide evidence to the VA in order to receive a favorable decision.

Some veterans may be eligible for trust claims based on asbestos exposure. 

You can read more in our other blog post about additional payment for asbestos-related illnesses .

Have Questions About Appealing Your Claim or Understanding How the Claims Process Works?

The attorneys at Hill & Ponton are here to support you with appealing a claim to get asbestos exposure benefits.

If you are intending to appeal a denied claim, you can contact us for an evaluation and we can help you with this process.

However, if you are considering filing an initial claim, or even if you are interested in learning about the appeals process, we offer a free ebook to get you started on the right foot!

The Road to VA Compensation Benefits will help break down the claims process from start to finish. Click the link below to learn more.