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Asbestos Exposure & the Military: Air Force

The United States Air Force (USAF) was one of the last branches of the U.S. military. It became its own separate branch in September of 1947. Before that, the operations it now handles were incorporated into other branches of the military, the last being the Army (from May, 1918). The National Security Act of 1947 created the United States Department of Defense, which listed the Air Force as separate from the Army and the Navy. Most of the other branches of the military still have their own flight capabilities. These forces are mostly made up of helicopters that support land and sea operations, some unmanned, fixed-wing aircraft used for scouting and the Navy is responsible for the aircraft on board its carriers.

The USAF is responsible for the peace and security of America and its holdings. This has grown over the last part of the century to include, not only air space, but outer space and cyberspace, as well. The current, stated mission of the USAF is to "deliver sovereign options for the defense of the United States of America and its global interests - to fly and fight in Air, Space, and Cyberspace." As of February 19, 2008, the USAF's motto is "Above All", and its colors are blue and gold.

There are a large number of people involved in the Air Force, which includes the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve. They have over 5,770 manned aircraft and about 160 unmanned vehicles. Their arsenal also includes 2,161 Air-Launched Cruise Missiles and 450 Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. As of September, 2007, there were 328,600 men and women in active duty and they were supported by over another 200,000 in the Reserves and Air National Guard. The USAF also employs a little less than 169,000 civilians in various capacities. Due to budget constraints, though, the Air Force has been undergoing a reduction in force. The number of active duty personnel will be lowered from its current amount to 316,000. As a side note, this will be the smallest the Air Force has been since the Pearl Harbor surprise attack and the current size is down to about 70% of what it was in 1991, at the end of the first Gulf War.

Asbestos

In most cases, those that serve in the military have a slightly higher risk of being exposed to asbestos. Asbestos is a natural mineral that's found all over the world in naturally occurring deposits. It has been used for centuries, mostly as an insulator, as it is resistant to heat and flames. When the industrial revolution got its start in the mid 1800s, asbestos really became popular. It's estimated that over 3,000 common products had asbestos added to them when they were being manufactured. Not only is asbestos great with heat and flames, it also adds to the tensile strength of whatever it's added to, doesn't conduct electricity and doesn't react with most chemicals.

This 'miracle mineral' was used heavily in the construction of Air Force bases in America and around the world. Asbestos was regularly added to concrete blocks used in foundations, roofing shingles and tar, floor and ceiling tiles and wallboard and joining compounds. It was also used to insulate hot water pipes, hot water tanks, ducts for heating and cooling systems and spaces around fireplaces and heaters. Not only are these 'passive' asbestos containing materials found all over, there were many of those in the service that worked actively with asbestos. The gaskets that were used in many of the airplane engines and large machinery were made from asbestos, and fire proofing materials, like blankets and fire resistant suits, had asbestos fibers in them, to list just a few. Even the homes that the Air Force had built to house its active men and women and their families were littered with asbestos and lead.

Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos becomes dangerous for people when dust from the mineral becomes airborne. For those working directly with the asbestos containing material, exposure to asbestos dust was almost guaranteed, as there were no safety precautions in place. The dust that falls from asbestos containing materials contains millions of microscopic asbestos fibers. They are inhaled and/or swallowed by anyone in the area and a large number of these fibers stay in the body.

Asbestosis is the most common result of asbestos exposure. The fibers sit in the lungs and begin to scratch up the delicate tissues in the lungs. A scar tissue forms that protects the lungs, but can't take the oxygen from the air anymore. Once the scarring becomes so bad, the victim can no longer catch their breath. A slightly more rare condition is called mesothelioma. In this condition, the asbestos fibers have worked their way to the outside of the organ. The mesothelium is a protective layer that covers most of the vital organs in the body. The fibers begin to irritate the mesothelium and it becomes inflamed. Over time, a tumor mass may form and the asbestos cancer develops. Mesothelioma not only affects the organ which it is nearest too, it also metastasizes quickly and spreads to other parts of the body. Currently, there is no cure for either disease. The effectiveness of any treatments depends entirely on catching the condition before it becomes too bad. It can take twenty to fifty years for asbestos exposure to seriously affect your health, so if you believe that you have been exposed, let your doctor know.

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Select... Mesothelioma Lung Cancer Asbestosis Severe Asbestosis Unknown

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