Asbestos and Air Force Veterans

The U.S. Air Force has gone to great lengths in recent years to guard against asbestos exposure. But veterans remain at risk of developing mesothelioma because of the extensive use of asbestos by the Air Force. Like all branches of the U.S. military through most of the 20th century, the Air Force utilized asbestos for its heat resistance, durability and affordability while ignoring its health risks.

The long latency period between exposure to asbestos fibers and the onset of mesothelioma symptoms – a 20- to 50-years period – has left many veterans on edge. To help asses risk, Air Force veterans can arm themselves with information about asbestos exposure; about possible ways they could have been exposed while in the Air Force; and about the disease of mesothelioma and how it is connected to asbestos.

Additionally, veterans can learn how to watch for symptoms of mesothelioma cancer and other asbestos-related diseases. If you'd like to learn more about the Veterans Assistance Program at the Mesothelioma Center, fill out the form on this page to request our free informational packet.  The packet introduces doctors who treat asbestos-related cancers, cancer treatment centers and medical and legal options.

Air Force Vets Exposed in Planes, on Bases

Over a period of decades, asbestos was everywhere in the Air Force, from base housing and office buildings at installations to many parts of the very aircraft pilots flew and mechanics fixed. A number of government studies, some by the Air Force itself, found asbestos throughout installations scattered across the United States.

Asbestos was used in the building and maintenance of aircraft, primarily to aid in the protection against fire and heat. It has been found in the brakes, cockpit heating system, heat shields for engines, torque valves, gaskets, electrical wiring and insulation in the cargo bays. Air Force mechanics were especially at risk for exposure, as they were more likely to inhale airborne asbestos dust and fibers through contact with engine valves and gaskets, motor parts and other materials without taking necessary precautions.

In fact, Tony Ventura, a sergeant in the U.S Army Air Corps, was hailed as a hero for his use of asbestos in prolonging the life of the famed B-29 bombers. After mechanics failed to find a solution to the oil leaks so common with those planes, Ventura turned to an asbestos product.

"My suggestion was to wrap the 36 hose fittings on each engine with metallic inserted asbestos. This piece of asbestos would act as a heat baffle. The cost-per-cylinder would be about 50 cents. I experimented with one cylinder to see if this 50 cents would save a very expensive engine," Ventura wrote in 1998. Buildings were not immune, either. The Burns Air Force Station in Oregon, for example, was closed in 1974 and sold off to commercial developers. Thirty years later, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality finished a study that raised serious public health concerns about the site. The 2003 study confirmed ". . . the presence of friable asbestos-containing material in the debris and the remnant buildings at the site. The asbestos-containing material has become more friable over time and may present an airborne inhalation hazard to site visitors and site workers."

Similar studies made similar findings about other Air Force installations and sites. According to one Center for Disease Control (CDC) report, asbestos-containing material was found in floor tile, pipe wrappings, vinyl flooring, ceiling material, wall insulation, drywall and stucco.

In recent years, the Air Force has been proactive in reducing asbestos exposure. The Secretary of the Air Force commissioned a study that produced strict guidelines in dealing with asbestos throughout the branch of service. "The Facilities Asbestos Management," dated March 22, 1994, "establishes requirements and assigns responsibilities to incorporate facility asbestos management principles and practices into all Air Force programs."

The Air Force became a separate military branch in 1947, established when asbestos use in the United States was rapidly emerging. By the 1980s, though, the Air Force was replacing asbestos-containing parts on aircraft with substitutes.

Free Resources for Air Force Veterans

The Veterans Assistance Department at the Mesothelioma Center is available to provide free assistance to you and can help you with your VA claim. Our veterans benefit counselors are extremely knowledgeable and are a valuable resource that can answer your questions and alleviate any confusion. For guidance and additional information, please fill out this form. For a comprehensive packet about asbestos-related diseases please fill out this form.