History of Asbestos Usage in the Military

Since ancient times, people have used asbestos in a vast variety of ways. As with many industries, the Industrial Revolution transformed the use and application of asbestos. The late 1800s brought significant advancement in the application of asbestos throughout an array of products. A fantastic insulator, asbestos was hailed for its resistance to heat and its fireproofing properties. In fact, this poisonous chemical was so praised that the U.S. military ordered widespread usage in all of its divisions.

The military began application of asbestos-laden products on Navy ships in World War II. From the 1930s through the 1970s, the military used thousands of tons of asbestos in every form of construction, maintenance, and repair. In addition, all modes of transportation, such as ships, tanks, automobiles, and aircraft, contained asbestos. For example, the Army and the Air Force used asbestos in electric wiring insulation and in break and clutch pads on vehicles such as jeeps, tanks, and aircraft. Military housing and other buildings located on military bases were endlessly fitted with building materials containing asbestos. These products ranged from insulation to floor covering to plumbing equipment.

Armed forces such as the Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard found even more uses for asbestos than other divisions. In the Navy alone, more than 300 products containing asbestos were used in ships and shipyards. Considered a crucial aspect of national security, the Navy mandated the use of asbestos materials on all newly constructed vessels in 1939.

In that same year, the Navy's Surgeon General recognized the harmful effects of asbestos exposure in public record. In a report on the health conditions at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the Surgeon General revealed that extended exposure to asbestos led to asbestosis, a potentially fatal respiratory condition that can lead to cancer. Regardless of this knowledge, the military continued widespread use of asbestos, demonstrating lack of human regard and proving industrial production somehow deserved precedence.

Not until the 1970s did the military begin to phase out asbestos-containing products, most likely because the public was becoming aware of the chemical's toxic effects through media coverage. Relative usage sustained through the '80s and, despite scientific evidence, even continues today in comparatively limited amounts. Many are under the impression that the use of asbestos was banned by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1989. But the EPA's attempt to ban asbestos was overturned in 1991 by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. Unfortunately, the military still uses asbestos-containing products, and probably will until stricter regulations on this deadly substance are enforced.