Fort Monmouth was a U.S. Army base in the state of New Jersey. Located in Monmouth County, just five miles from the Atlantic Ocean and an hour and 15 minutes from New York City, Fort Monmouth was active from 1917 to September 2011. Over the years, Fort Monmouth was home to several important Army departments, including Material Command, the Signal Corps Laboratories, and the Electronics Command. Unfortunately, through the years of its operation, those who served, lived, and worked at Fort Monmouth were exposed to asbestos that was included in its infrastructure, its equipment, and its accommodations. That exposure led to many being diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.
The History of Fort Monmouth
Fort Monmouth went through several name changes and missions throughout its nearly 100-year history. Originally established as Camp Little Silver in June 1917, it was established to train Signal Corps operators for World War I, and soon after being awarded semi-permanent status, it was renamed Camp Alfred Vail in honor of the Army’s chief Signal Officer. During its earliest building phase, it was made up of 129 semi-permanent structures, a tent camp, and a parade ground. Within a year, it had added a radio laboratory and an airfield, and after the war’s end, it was established as the single training area for the Signal Corps, drawing Signal Corpsmen from all over the country.[1]
The site was designated a permanent post a few years later, and that’s when it was renamed Fort Monmouth. Though the base retained the primary mission of Signal Corps training, it also conducted electronics research, launching the first radio-equipped weather balloon in 1929. The post was also the home to the Army’s Pigeon Breeding and Training Center, which trained birds to exchange communications under cover of darkness.[1]
Fort Monmouth is credited with having designed and developed much of the communications equipment used by America’s military during World War II, including radar. The Signal Corps also developed a searchlight control and gun laying detector, a surface vessel detector, and a long-range aircraft detector. It was also home to more than 1,200 civilian personnel and 28 military officers. To accommodate its growing needs, the site expanded onto additional locations in Red Bank, Wall Township, and Tinton Falls, housing 1,559 officers and almost 20,000 enlisted personnel, the vast majority of whom were attendees of the Signal Corps Officer Candidate School.[1]
After the war, Fort Monmouth initially served as a Separation Center, then continued its mission of technical research and development. Over the years, it conducted scientific inquiry into the use of radios, field TV cameras, radiation dosimeters, microelectronics, night vision equipment, lithium batteries, and satellite instrumentation. It was also the headquarters of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command.[1]
Fort Monmouth was designated for closure by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission in 2005 but remained open until September of 2011. Over the following years, it underwent significant cleanup activities that included abatement of asbestos and lead that was used extensively throughout the site.
How Was Asbestos Used at Fort Monmouth?
Fort Monmouth operated from 1917 to 2011, spanning the years when the U.S. military required that asbestos and asbestos-containing materials be used in numerous applications. Though the site’s mission of performing research, development, procurement, and production of prototype communications and electronics equipment made it less likely to have hosted some of the heavily contaminated assets found on other U.S. Army bases, that does not mean that asbestos was not present. Because of the mineral’s ability to strengthen and fireproof other materials, it was used in construction material in nearly every facet of the base.[2]
Fort Monmouth accommodated a wide range of activities. Its communications and electronic equipment research required a variety of laboratory buildings, as well as support activities, including vehicle maintenance, warehousing, medical and dental services, and photo processing and printing. All of the buildings that housed these services were constructed using asbestos-containing materials, and even the brake systems of the military’s vehicles represented a risk of exposure to those who serviced them. As a result, Fort Monmouth had to be registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection as a large quantity generator of hazardous waste products, including asbestos.[2]
A report on the potential for toxic exposure at Fort Monmouth after its closure noted that due to the age of the buildings on the base, it was highly likely for asbestos to be present. A report on a water main installation project at one of the base’s military housing sites noted that developers had resisted working on the site due to wide-ranging asbestos issues.[3]
A report on the condition of the Fort Monmouth site that was issued a few years after its closure noted that asbestos was present in multiple materials and buildings on the site, including floor tile, mastic, linoleum, ceiling tile, pipe fittings, pipe runs, transite panel board, various types of insulation, joint compound, flex connectors, and debris.[4]
Asbestos-containing materials and parts used at Fort Jackson over the years included:
- Adhesives
- Automobile and truck brakes
- Caulking
- Ceiling tiles
- Cement foundations
- Drywall
- Electrical wiring
- Epoxies
- Fireproofing materials
- Floor tiles
- Gaskets
- HVAC systems
- Insulation materials
- Paint
- Pipes
- Plumbing
- Roofing
- Sealants
- Siding
- Soundproofing
- Valves
- Vinyl floor tiles
- Wallboard
Who Was at Risk of Asbestos Exposure at Fort Monmouth?
Asbestos was present in almost every building and every aspect of infrastructure during the majority of the years that Fort Monmouth was in operation, and as a result, it put nearly every service member, civilian employee, and visitor to the base at risk of asbestos exposure. Because the material was present in the site’s buildings, barracks, mess halls, medical facilities, and laboratories, avoiding exposure would have been inescapable.
Though asbestos does not present a danger when it is in place and intact, it would have presented a risk to anybody involved in the construction, repair, or maintenance of the buildings or equipment on the site between the 1930s and 1980s when it was being used, and legacy asbestos continued to pose a risk to anybody present on the base from the time its use was discontinued until the base was closed. This included family members who lived on the base and were exposed to asbestos in military housing or who were subjected to secondary asbestos exposure carried home on their loved ones’ clothing after a day of working near the dangerous material.
Those who were most at risk of asbestos exposure at Fort Monmouth included:
- Insulation Workers
- Welders
- Automotive mechanics
- Electricians
- HVAC Workers
- Demolition Workers
- Contractors
- Construction Workers
- Roofers
- Carpenters
- Bricklayers
- Boiler Workers
- Pipefitters
- Machinists
Were You Exposed to Asbestos at Fort Monmouth?
Fort Monmouth was an extremely active military base until 2011, and the prevalence of asbestos in its buildings and infrastructure put anybody who lived or worked there at risk for asbestos-related diseases like malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. Though years may have passed since you were on the base, the long latency periods that are typical of asbestos-related diseases mean that your current lack of symptoms is no guarantee that you won’t get sick in the future. Asbestos-related diseases can take decades to begin to manifest symptoms, and once those symptoms appear, the diseases are generally far advanced.
If you spent time at Fort Monmouth, we encourage you to learn about the symptoms of asbestos-related diseases and to notify your healthcare professional of your exposure history. Doing so will help you respond quickly if concerning symptoms appear and can hasten diagnosis and treatment.
Help for Those Diagnosed with Mesothelioma and Other Asbestos-Related Diseases
Being diagnosed with lung cancer, malignant mesothelioma, or another asbestos-related disease is life-changing. If your exposure to asbestos came from the time you or a loved one spent at Fort Monmouth – whether as a service member, civilian employee, or family member – you have options. You may be eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit against the companies whose asbestos-containing products were used on the base or to file a claim against the asbestos trust funds set up by asbestos companies that were forced into bankruptcy after years of paying multi-million dollar asbestos liabilities. If you are a veteran, you may also be eligible for special disability compensation, benefits, and care available through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
To learn more about the choices available to you, the deadline known as a statute of limitations that applies to your situation, and more, reach out to an experienced asbestos attorney. These compassionate professionals have a wealth of knowledge and resources that will help you navigate the journey ahead.
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