Navy Veterans and Asbestos Exposure | Mesothelioma Hope

Veterans are at a particularly high risk of getting mesothelioma because asbestos was used in so many products purchased by the U.S. military. The branch with the greatest exposure is probably the U.S. Navy. We find that about a third of the people we come across with asbestos-related diseases served in the Navy. That’s largely because so many Navy vessels — practically all of them from the 1930s into the 1980s — were built using asbestos products for fireproofing, insulation, and soundproofing.

If I met a veteran who was exposed to asbestos in the service, I would say he needs to get checked by his doctor on a regular basis. He should keep an eye out for signs and symptoms of mesothelioma, like shortness of breath and similar issues. It’s also important to keep a good record of what you did in the service — where you served, what ships you were on, and what vessels or equipment you worked with.

A lot of times, veterans come to us and say, “I don’t know how this happened. I don’t know when this occurred.” Fortunately, we have a database — a warehouse of information — that tells us which vessels, buildings, equipment, or even protective gear contained asbestos. We can take that service member’s record and fill in the blanks, figuring out where possible exposures occurred while he was on active duty.

You want to have a good record of these things so that if you ever have to file a claim with the VA, for example, to get a disability rating, you’ll have the information you need for your claim to be approved.