Located about 15 miles from San Antonio, Texas, and part of Joint Base San Antonio since 2010, Randolph Air Force Base is one of the U.S. Air Force’s oldest air bases and has long been considered the “West Point of the Air.”[1] For as long as Randolph has been in operation, its mission has been training Air Force pilots, pilot instructors, helicopter pilots, and other instruction surrounding aviation. Because the base was built during the years when the military made extensive use of asbestos, and because its operations were so centered on assets that relied heavily on the toxic material, many of those who served, worked, and lived at Randolph were put at risk for mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other asbestos-related diseases.
The History of Randolph Air Force Base
Randolph Air Force Base was officially dedicated in 1930 after the Air Corps Act of 1926 created an expansion program for what had originally been called the Army Air Service but was changed to the Army Air Corps. When Air Corps. Brigadier General Frank P. Lahm noted the inadequacy of two existing Texas airfields for Air Corps training requirements; he made arrangements to purchase the 2,300-acre tract that would become the base. At the same time, 1st Lieutenant Harold Clark was imagining what he believed was an ideal “Air City,” whose design was a departure from the norm, and General Lahm was so impressed that he hired the young man to work on it full-time. The airfield became the Army Corps of Engineers’ largest construction project since the building of the Panama Canal, taking more than five years to build.[2]
Randolph Field’s design included 500 Spanish Colonial Revival-style buildings and thirty miles of roadways. The base’s buildings were centered on the airfield, with administrative structures serving as the center and streets laid out concentrically, with aircraft ramps and runways laid out in a perimeter around the field’s circular layout. The base was named for Captain William Millican Randolph, who had been on the airfield’s naming committee before being killed in an airplane crash at nearby Gorman Field.[2]
By the end of 1931, the Air Corps Primary Flying School had been established and operated until 1939, when its mission shifted to basic pilot training. That effort continued until 1943 when it was replaced with the Central Instructors School (CIS) responsible for training instructors. Over three years, the school trained over 15,000 pilots as instructors. It was then replaced by the Army Air Force Pilot School, which helped pilots transition to piloting, copiloting, and providing engineering services for B-29 bombers.[2]
It wasn’t until 1947 that the Air Force became a separate branch of service. Shortly after, Randolph Field’s name was officially changed to Randolph Air Force Base. Ten years later, Air Training Command moved to Randolph. Over the next few years, the base went through occasional redesignations, with schools moving on the base from other sites and others moving off. In 1972, the Twelfth Flying Training Wing was activated at Randolph and has hosted the Air Training Command (now Air Education and Training Command), Air Force Military Personnel Center, Air Force Civilian Personnel Management Center, Air Force Recruiting Services, and the Air Force Management Engineering Agency, as well as more than twenty tenant organizations. It continued training pilots to be instructor pilots, expanding its lessons to multiple planes, and by the early 1990s, over 8,000 personnel, including more than 3,000 civilian workers, worked the base. Its training shifted to Combat Systems Officer training, Remotely Piloted Aircraft pilot training, and Basic Sensor Operators training in the 2000s. In 2010, it became part of Joint Base San Antonio.[2]
How Was Asbestos Used at Randolph Air Force Base?
Randolph Air Force Base was largely built in the 1930s, a time when the U.S. military specifically ordered the use of asbestos in almost every application and project. Though today we know that the mineral is highly carcinogenic, at the time, its dangers were largely unknown to the public, and it was thought to be invaluable for its ability to add strength, fire and heat resistance, and insulating properties. The War Department instructed that asbestos be included in products ranging from mess halls and barracks to ships and ceiling tiles to protect service members and assets alike, and when it came to the Air Force, this meant that administrative structures and living quarters, as well as aircraft, included the toxic material.
Asbestos has been found on nearly every U.S. Air Force base that was built between 1930 and 1980, and in addition to it having been included in construction, it was an integral part of materials used for repairs and maintenance.
Asbestos-containing materials and parts used at Randolph Air Force Base included:
- Adhesives
- Aircraft
- Aircraft Brakes
- Automobile and truck brakes
- Cargo bay insulation Adhesives
- Caulking
- Ceiling tiles
- Cement foundations
- Drywall
- Electrical wiring
- Epoxies
- Fireproofing materials
- Floor tiles
- Gaskets
- Hangars
- Heat shields for aircraft engines
- Heating systems in the cockpit
- HVAC systems
- Insulation materials
- Paint
- Pipes
- Plumbing
- Roofing
- Roofing adhesives
- Sealants
- Siding
- Soundproofing
- Valves
- Vinyl floor tiles
- Wallboard
Who Was at Risk of Asbestos Exposure at Randolph Air Force Base?
When left alone — undamaged or contained within other materials — asbestos is relatively harmless. But when raw asbestos, or materials combined with asbestos, are broken down while being cut, sanded, mixed with other materials, or in some other way disturbed during installation, maintenance, repair, or simple wear-and-tear, it becomes airborne and poses great risk. Asbestos particles are extremely lightweight and can float for hours. When looked at under a microscope, they have needlelike, pointy ends. Anybody working around airborne asbestos for hours after it has been disturbed is at risk for these particles to be inhaled, and once they enter the body and their ends become embedded in cells, they are extremely difficult to expel.
Because asbestos was used so extensively during the construction, repair, and maintenance of Randolph Air Force Base, many of the people who served or worked there were put at risk of exposure. This is especially true of those who worked in the trades or jobs that exposed them directly to the material, such as carpenters, boiler workers installing asbestos-containing insulation or gaskets, and plumbers or pipefitters using asbestos insulation to seal and protect pipes. Also at risk were the pilots and training instructors who worked with and flew aircraft whose parts and materials were heavily contaminated with asbestos and the mechanics tasked with keeping those planes in good working condition. Aircraft parts containing asbestos included everything from heat shields to brake linings to electrical systems.
Those who were most at risk of asbestos exposure at Randolph Air Force Base included:
- Sheet Metal Workers
- Welders
- Electricians
- Contractors
- Construction Workers
- Airmen
- Boiler Workers
- Pipefitters
- Machinists
- Aircraft mechanics
- Pilots
- Flying Instructors
- Carpenters
While most asbestos exposure came from working or serving on the base, there was also significant risk to the family members these individuals came home to each night. Just as disturbed asbestos particles could be inhaled, they could land on the hair, skin, or clothing of service members and base employees and be carried into their homes or their personal automobiles. Military spouses and those married to people occupationally exposed to asbestos were at risk of secondary asbestos exposure from shaking out and laundering their husband’s work clothes each night, and many have been diagnosed with lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other illnesses decades later as a result.
The most significant asbestos risk came during the years when the military was actively ordering and applying asbestos-containing materials, but the risk has not ended. As recently as 2021, military families living on Randolph Air Force Base housing pursued legal action against a privatized landlord managing the structures over legacy asbestos left behind from decades earlier that had become exposed and which they blamed for multiple respiratory conditions.[3]
Were You Exposed to Asbestos at Randolph Air Force Base?
Military veterans represent a significant percentage of those who have already been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases, and the risk of being sickened in the future remains for decades because the diseases have such long latency periods. It can frequently take fifty or sixty after being exposed for symptoms to begin appearing, so if you or someone you love served, worked, or lived at Randolph Air Force Base, it’s a good idea to educate yourself about the warning signs and remain vigilant. You should also notify your physician of your exposure history so that they can include asbestos-related diseases when identifying potential causes for symptoms that may arise in the future.
Help for Those Affected by Asbestos at Randolph Air Force Base
Being diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related disease is life-altering. While your first step should always be seeking the best treatment available to you, it’s also important to investigate the compensation options available to you. Air Force veterans are not able to file legal claims against the military, but they are entitled to claim medical benefits and special disability compensation if their exposure came during their time of service. And like civilians who have been diagnosed with these diseases, they can file personal injury lawsuits against the asbestos companies responsible for having supplied the military with the contaminated parts and materials. Many of these companies knew of the dangers of asbestos but chose to keep the information quiet so that they could continue earning profits by selling it to the government, and as a result, they’ve been required to pay millions of dollars in compensation to victims and their survivors.
For more information on the benefits and compensation options available to you, contact an experienced and knowledgeable asbestos attorney. These professionals have spent years learning the nuances of asbestos-related cases and are best suited to provide you with the guidance that will serve you best.
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